


Rising Tides

by Marcythewolf



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: A bunch of boring filler chapters, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Human, Amputee Peridot, Angst, Awkward sleepovers, Blood, Chaptered, Cliche truth or dare that somehow ended in steven eating sand??, Completed, F/F, Flashbacks, How Do I Tag This, Hurt/Comfort, Jasper is peridots bully, Kissing in the Rain, LGBT characters, Mutual Pining, Old but gold, Phantom pain, Queer Characters, Robonoids, Sharing a Bed, Snowball Fight, The writing gets better dw, This was originally gonna be some sort of theater au but i scrapped the idea later on, Will add tags as I update, beach dates, carcrash, only a little, pre written
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-23
Updated: 2017-11-29
Packaged: 2019-01-22 02:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 49,394
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12471540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marcythewolf/pseuds/Marcythewolf
Summary: Peridot, the unpopular highschool nerd just wants to get through her last year of school quietly. But apparently that's impossible because of a rebellious blue haired actress and her tendency to pull Peridot out of her comfort zone. It's bad enough getting bullied by an old friend, why couldn't she just leave her alone? It goes from bad to worse when Peridot gets pulled into her friend group and is forced to tag along on their wacky adventures.How is she going to survive this?My Tumblr





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Old fic I wrote like, last year?

Beep beep beep

Peridot grunted as she sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She glanced at her clock: 6:30am, just enough time to get ready and leave for school. She stood up, placing her glasses on her nose and stretching. Peridot ran a hand through her messy blonde hair, trying to neaten it up but failing. She had no time to brush it, she had to get to school as early as possible. 

The blonde walked to the bathroom, brushing her teeth and whatnot before changing into a dark green hoodie and jeans. She trudged downstairs, turning off her bedroom light and making herself some cereal. She didn't have much time to eat either. Cereal was a good choice of food. Peridot shoveled the cereal into her mouth, constantly checking the time on her phone. 

6:45, she had 15 minutes to get to school. She threw her bowl into the sink and pulled on her green converse. Grabbing her backpack, she exited the house and into her car. 

Peridot set her phone on the seat next to her, checking the time once more before starting the car. It was the first day back at school since summer and Peridot couldn't afford to be late. She hated being late, even if it meant arriving at school half an hour earlier than everyone else. There was another reason why she loved being early; she had the school practically to herself. It was so calming sitting alone in the library with no one around, just studying. 

It was, after all, Peridots last year in high school and she was super excited to get this year over and done with so she could get on with life. Her goal was to build robots for a living, something she had wanted to do ever since she was little. Peridot glanced at her phone. 7:00. She smiled as she saw the school up ahead and pulled into the car park. She stepped out and picked up her bag and phone before trudging into the building. The blonde made her way up to the library, sitting down on one of the plush beanbags placed around the reading area and getting out her old maths book. She flicked to the right page and started reading. 

Yes, it was only the start of the year, but she had a lot of time on her hands and she loved maths. Better to start studying as soon as possible. Who knew when the teacher would start the random tests and quizzes. So yes, Peridot was a nerd, possibly the biggest in the entire school. She was your typical cliché nerd as well, no friends, super smart and into dumb video games. 

The bell broke Peridot out of her little daydream and she got up, sliding the book into her bag and walking to her first period. She had been given a timetable when she arrived and had already started studying it as well. She knew she had maths first, which was good because it was one of her favourite lessons, as well as tech. She arrived in the classroom as soon as the first bell stopped ringing, placing herself at the back of the classroom and getting out her equipment. After a few minutes, other people started to pile in, people Peridot recognised from her older classes. 

Finally, after waiting for another five minutes, the chatter died down and the teacher walked in, a tall female with short hair. She gazed over the class then sat down by her computer. She opened up the register and started calling names.

"Lapis?" The teacher stopped, looking up from the computer. "Lapis lazuli?" After no one answered, she shrugged and scrolled down to the next person. 

Lapis. That name sounded familiar. Suddenly it clicked and Peridot looked up with wide green eyes. Lapis was the girl who set the fireworks off in the canteen, with help from Jasper, Peridots personal bully. She had been there when Lapis had walked in with a massive box, and Jasper with a lighter. They had set up in the middle of the canteen, for all eyes to see. One had hit a dinner lady and Lapis had almost gotten expelled. Instead, she got suspended for a month and Jasper, three weeks. Now she was back and Peridot did not feel safe with her being in her class. 

The second bell rang and a tall blue haired girl stepped into the classroom. She turned to the teacher, a calm grin on her face. 

"Sorry miss, my bus was running late" she shrugged innocently. 

The teacher sighed and ran a hand down her face "OK, OK, just go and sit down". 

Lapis looked up and scanned the seats. Peridot followed her gaze, realising that all the seats, except the one next to her, were taken. She almost fainted when lapis also realised and was now staring at the blonde. Lapis slowly made her way to the back and sat down next to Peridot. 

Peridot turned away from the blue haired girl, avoiding eye contact and just staring at the wall. The teacher started talking, picking up a pen and scribbling equations on the board. Peridot started jotting them down and working them out. Lapis was more slow, hesitating every minute. She looked confused. 

The blonde almost felt a pang of sympathy for the girl. She glanced at her brand new maths book. It was already covered in scribbles. Peridot sighed and turned around to face Lapis. She cleared her throat, making the other look down at her. 

Peridot awkwardly pointed to the first question, already in Lapis' book. "You have to divide this" she pointed to the first number "by this" she pointed to the second number "then work out this" she nodded towards the last number. "Its easy" she blurted.

Lapis raised an eyebrow, chuckling "I don't think I've ever heard you talk before, nerd". 

Peridot grunted and turned back to her book. Not even a 'thank you?' Wow, rude. 

"Oh, and thanks I guess" Lapis shrugged to herself "nerd". 

Peridot snorted "just because I helped you, doesn't mean I like you, lazuli" she wanted the blue haired girl to stop talking. But it also felt kind of nice to talk to someone who wasn't on the internet.

"I know" she replied quietly, more interested in doodling in her maths book than talking and apparently, working.

Peridot wanted to scream at her. This was so infuriating but she couldn't help but admire Lapis' artistic skill. She was pretty good. Peridot shook her head and went back to working out the next question. Now was not the time to admire this girl that almost killed her last year. She hoped Lapis wasn't going to be in any of her other classes. But then again, she probably was... 

"Class" the teacher clapped her hands, gaining the attention of the students "I just wanted to remind you that where you sit will be permanent for the rest of the year!" She waved her hand dismissively and went back to her computer. 

Peridot groaned. She had hoped that this would be a good class, where the teacher let you sit where you wanted and move whenever you felt the need to. But no. The blonde glanced at Lapis who had the same blank expression on her face as she did before. Peridot was fuming. 

"Are you not mad you're stuck with me for the rest of the year!" Peridot ran a hand through her messy hair, trying not to flip the desk. 

Lapis shrugged "no, not really". 

"What!? Why, I know you have friends in this class" Peridot hissed, pointing to a few faces she'd seen hanging with Lapis. 

"Well yeah, but I wanna get to know you" Lapis gave the smaller girl a small smirk. "You're cute when you're angry".

Peridot sighed and turned away. She didn't want this. She wanted to be alone. For all the nerd knew, she could've been exactly like Jasper. 

"Come on peri" Lapis nudged her.

"Don't call me that" Peridot spat, swatting Lapis' hand away when she held it out in an attempt to calm her. 

They spent the rest of the lesson in silence, which Peridot was very grateful for. Only four more lessons till the end of the day... Peridot hoped Lapis wouldn't annoy her for the rest of the day, but in the back of her mind, she kind of hoped she would.


	2. Chapter 2

Lapis was startled by the sudden ringing of the bell. She quickly shut her book and passed it to Peridot, who threw it onto the desk in front. The kid sitting in front of them sighed and passed the books onwards until they reached the box where they belonged. Lapis turned towards Peridot, who was frantically stuffing her equipment into her bag. 

"What's the rush?" She asked, watching the blonde whilst also putting her stuff away. 

Peridot glared at Lapis before turning back to what she was doing. After placing a couple of books into the old green bag, she slung it over on shoulder and started walking out of the classroom. Lapis ignored the calls of her friends and followed Peridot out of the maths block and down a long path towards the drama, music and ICT block. 

"Do you have drama now?" Lapis asked, jogging alongside Peridot to catch up. She was surprisingly fast for someone so small. 

Peridot chuckled to herself, as if the thing Lapis had just said was a joke. She stopped walking to face Lapis with a raised eyebrow. "No, I don't have drama" she said, sneering. 

"Oh!" Lapis snapped her fingers as Peridot made a right towards the technology block. She seemed to walk faster as she entered the building, opened the door and sliding in. Lapis almost thought she could see her smiling. "Nerd". 

Lapis spun around on her heel as she saw that she was one of the last people outside. There were only mere seconds before the late bell rang and see couldn't afford to be late. Not for one of her favourite subjects. She slipped off her shoes and walked into the room. She was greeted by her small friend, Amethyst, the only person she actually liked in her drama class. Lapis threw her bag into the back corner of the room and went to sit in the small group sitting in front of their new drama teacher. 

Their teacher was short, with red dyed hair. She stood over the class, introducing herself and talking about what kind of projects they would be doing over the next year. She also mentioned a couple of productions that were holding auditions for, which Lapis was super excited about. One of said auditions was tonight. Lapis made a mental note to tell her friends not to wait up for her. 

"So" Amethyst said when the teacher stopped talking to them to sit herself on the computer and get up a PowerPoint of their current project. "I saw you hanging out with the nerd". 

"What? Oh, Peridot?" Lapis waited until her friend nodded before going on "yeah, I don't think she has any friends, maybe we could invite her into our group?" She suggested, hoping Amethyst would approve. 

Amethyst brushed her dark brown bangs out of her eyes before looking up at Lapis with an almost confused look on her face. "No, Peridot doesn't have any friends because she hasn't bothered to make any" she pointed out "and honestly I think she's too socially awkward to join our friend group let alone any other friend group".

"You sure seem to know a lot about Peridot" Lapis inquired, standing up with her smaller friend and moving to a corner and out of the small crowd of students who were chatting loudly to one another. 

The teacher was still absentmindedly tapping away on her keyboard, distracted by something that must've been important. She stood up and ordered the class to sit quietly in pairs until she sorted out the situation then went back. Lapis and Amethyst sat down and continued talking. 

"Well, she did have a friend. A long, long time ago" Amethyst said dramatically, making the blue haired girl laugh. "Y'know Jasper?"

Lapis rolled her eyes and nodded. Of course, she almost got expelled because of her. She smiled at the memory though. She regretted nothing. 

"OK, that was a dumb question" Amethyst said, breaking the silence. "They used to be friends but something happened. Not sure what though but it must've been something bad" she shrugged then went on once again "Peridot didn't come to school for months and when she did, she was never the same".

As Amethyst concluded her little story, the teacher stood up once again, grabbing the small remote and unfreezing the interactive whiteboard. The PowerPoint slide lit up the dark room in a pale green glow. The task was, in pairs, to recreate a scene from a Shakespeare play. Sounded boring...

They got given scripts, a different play for each pair and got to work. Lapis handed the script to her partner before flipping through the pages and skim reading them until she found a part she found interesting. She doubted she would though, even as an actress she found Shakespeare's works confusing and slightly boring. Her mind went back to the auditions after school and she turned towards Amethyst, who had scrapped looking through the script and had gotten out her phone. Typical. 

"Hey, can you tell Pearl and the others I'm staying back at school for auditions?" Lapis asked, knowing full well her brunette friend either would 'forget' or lie about where she was. 

"Sure, whatever" she waved it off, opening up Instagram and pulling Lapis towards her for a picture. 

"Amethyst! You're gonna get yelled at if you don't stop" Lapis hissed, elbowing Amethyst and glancing towards the teacher. 

Amethyst rolled her eyes, slipping her phone back into her pocket and picking up the script. After about half the lesson, the pair had made up a decent routine. Some groups had to perform theirs but others were lucky enough to escape the embarrassment. This went on until the bell rang, everyone got up, grabbed their stuff, slipped on their shoes and made their way outside. 

\- - -

Lapis sighed happily as the final bell went off, signalling the end of the day. She stood up, slung her bag over her shoulder and made her way back to the drama block. She stepped into a large room. It was mostly empty except for a grand piano in the corner and a stage on the far side of the room. Lights were set up above the stage and some other strange looking machines that Lapis didn't recognise were scattered around. 

Scanning the room, Lapis spotted her drama teacher handing out a set of scripts. She took one, sitting down on a bench on the side and started reading. She only looked up to see people walking up onto the stage and reading lines. Lapis felt confident. Throughout her years in this school, she had almost always gotten the leading role in the productions and if not the lead, then another important role. 

Someone called her name and she got up onto the stage. She had already memorised a small paragraph and began to pace around the stage, speaking her lines loud and clear. When she'd stopped, she looked up to see people clapping. She smiled and walked off. 

Lapis was about to leave the room when she spotted a familiar head of blonde hair. Her eyes widened as she saw who it was. 

"Peridot?"


	3. Chapter 3

Peridot jumped slightly and turned towards Lapis. Her eyes widened and she shuffled back on the bench. Lapis took this as an opportunity to sit next to the smaller girl. She set her bags down and stared into Peridot's bright green eyes. 

"So" Lapis tried to make casual conversation though it was a little awkward as she could literally feel peridots glare "why are you here? You don't seem like the drama type". Lapis wasn't one to judge but it was a little strange she would be at auditions. 

Peridot let out a sharp laugh and leant back against the wall, placing her hands neatly in her lap. "I'm not auditioning, I'm working backstage" she rolled her eyes as she went on "I work there every year... Not like you've noticed".

"So you're the techie" Lapis asked. Peridot gave her a small nod, frowning. "That's cute" she grinned as the blondes cheeks began to grow red. She got flustered so easily, all she had to do was complement her. Maybe that wasn't a good thing though... 

"Stop calling me cute!" Peridot raised her voice slightly, making people turn towards their general direction. Peridot glared daggers at Lapis. She was now leaning forward on the bench, making herself look even smaller. 

Lapis raised her hands up in defence, slightly scared the Peridot would snap and lunge at her. "I'm sorry, just trying to make conversation". 

Peridot didn't reply. She stood up, grabbing her bag and walking out of the side door, leaving Lapis on the bench, looking puzzled yet determined. The blonde made her way to her car, sliding in and starting it up. She turned on the radio, listening to it as she reversed out of her space and onto the open road. Taking a left, she smiled as one of her favourite songs came on. She tapped along to the beat with her fingers. 

\- - - 

When she arrived home, she jogged to her room and dived into her bed. She buried her face in her pillow, trying not to think of how horrible her day had been. That blue haired girl was always in her mind and it made her feel weird. Peridots phone buzzed and she raised her head from her pillow and flipped it over so the screen was visible. Her mother was trying to call... 

Peridot pressed the 'answer call' button and held the phone up to her ear. She could hear shuffling and muffled voices coming from the other side. Wherever she was, it sounded busy and Peridot knew that this call would not last long. 

"Peridot?" Her mothers voice came slightly muffled from the other side of the phone. 

"Hi" Peridot was well aware how her voice sounded. She sounded very tired and impatient. Which is exactly what she was.

"I though you'd never pick up! I just called to see how you were doing" that was a lie. She was calling because that's what parents were supposed to do. And she was never around so a phone call was the only time she could actually bond with her daughter. Peridot was pretty sure she didn't care about how she was doing. 

"Whatever" Peridot mumbled, mostly to herself but she guessed her mother had heard. She didn't care, she'd said a lot worse. 

"Just wanted to remind you to take your meds and to stop pulling all-nighters to play that dumb game! School is very important, do you want to get a good job or not?" Oh great, now she was giving her a lecture.

"Yeah, I do" Peridot rolled her eyes and sat herself up in a comfortable position before turning on her Xbox. "And I'm fine, actually, I've been getting good grades". 

There was no answer for what seemed like an eternity. She could hear her mother's voice but it was very faint. Someone was yelling at her. Telling her to hurry up?? She was probably at a meeting. Peridot sighed, wondering whether or not to hang up. 

"Well, nice catching up with you, darling! I have to go now" her mother spoke quickly, she seemed out of breath "got an important meeting coming up, love ya" and with that, she hung up. 

"Love you too" Peridot answered sarcastically. She threw her phone into her pillow a looked back up at her TV. 

The Xbox logo was on the screen. She grabbed a controller and selected a game. Peridot glanced back angrily at her phone before standing up, changing into a pair of shorts and a shirt and going downstairs to raid the kitchen. Not like she had to, this was her house. Her mother was never around because of her stupid job. She had to pay for the food, the electricity. It sucked. 

Peridot didn't have a job, she sold computer parts and other electronic things online, and that was how she made most of her money. She also fixed computers but that business hadn't really started up. She tried to advertise it but nobody had seemed interested. Peridot frowned and grabbed a bag of popcorn and a mountain dew before making her way back to her room and wrapping herself up in her blankets. 

She played for hours, filling herself up on junk food. When she checked the time, it was already 3am. Peridot ran a had through her hair, debating whether of not to keep playing or go to bed. What did it matter? She was always tired. She gave up and threw the controller onto her messy floor and turning off her game console. 

The small blonde did her normal routine, brushing her teeth, trying to tame her messy blonde locks before they got even more out of control and failing, taking off her glasses, placing them on her bedside table and then, finally, sliding into her bed and closing her eyes. A familiar blue haired girl popped into her mind and Peridot's eyes shot open. 

"Noooo" she moaned, burying herself deeper into her duvet. She held her head in her hands. This kept happening throughout the day, why now?? Why Lapis? 

"Not now gay thoughts"


	4. Chapter 4

Lapis tapped her foot patiently as she waited for her bus. Her house was very far away from her school, on the edge of beach city and she didn't own a car. Lapis sighed and sat down on the cold metal bench, getting out her iPod and plugging in her earphones. She scrolled through her playlists, finally settling on one and hitting the shuffle button. A bunch of other people she recognised from school stood beside the bus stop, chatting about classes and homework. Lapis glanced at the time, breathing out as she saw the bus in the reflection of her phone. She was going to be on time! 

"The second day will be better" she muttered, stepping onto the bus and showing the driver her bus pass. He nodded and she walked forward to sit at the back. "Its always better" she concluded, watching the group of teens heading upstairs. 

Lapis spent the rest of the journey listening to her music and staring out the window. She watched as passers by zoomed past and when the bus finally stopped at her destination, she turned off her music and silently stepped of with the other students. 

"Lapis" the blue haired girl turned on her heel towards the voice. It was Steven. Lapis smiled as the boy ran up to her, enveloping her in a tight hug. She hugged back. 

"Hey Steven" seeing the young, happy boy had immediately lightened Lapis' mood. "Hows school?" She asked, feeling it was necessary to made conversation before she went to her classes. 

"Its OK I guess" by now, Steven was so excited he couldn't stay still. He was dancing around Lapis, a goofy grin on his face. "I made a new friend, her name's Connie!" 

"Awesome, you'll have to introduce me sometime" Lapis couldn't help but grin as she noticed his cheek were growing red. 

Steven nodded and ran off without another word. Weird. Lapis walked into the main building before checking her timetable. German first? Oh no. She had been forced to pick a language as the school had said it'd help in the future so Lapis picked German, already knowing the basics and all. 

"German in room... 4?" She looked up and spotted a door with the number 3 on it. She turned around and walked down another hallway and spotted the room. Walking in, she saw the teacher guiding students to the back of the room. Great, a seating plan. She walked slowly towards the back. 

The bell rang seconds later and a couple more people rushed into the classroom. Once everyone was there, the teacher stood up from her seat, holding a seating plan in her hands. Lapis gulped, she didn't want to be sat with one of those annoying girls in her class. Or the boys, they were rude, smelly and all around disgusting. Lapis zoned out as names were called. She saw Peridot slide into the seat second to the back and secretly hoped she was next to her. Nope, instead Garnet sat next to her, a blank expression on her face. Garnet adjusted her shades and set out her things, saying nothing.

"Lapis" she was broke out of her trance to see the teacher pointing to the desk behind Peridot. Lapis smirked and sat down, making sure to make noise when she did so. Peridot jumped slightly but didn't turn around. 

"Pearl" Lapis quickly turned towards the group at the back, seeing Pearl grinning mischievously. Lapis mirrored the grin, pulling her chair out for her and gesturing to it dramatically. Pearl chuckled and sat down. They high-fived. 

Amethyst wasn't so lucky, getting seated next to Jasper. She had opened her mouth to complain but Jasper punched her arm. Lapis saw Peridot wincing. 

As soon as the seating plan was established, the teacher handed out of books and gave the class textbook work to do. It was pretty easy, just finding the translations to words. 

"Hey Peri" Lapis hissed, kicking Peridot's chair with the tip of her foot. 

Peridot spun around, narrowing her eyes at the blue haired girl "I told you not to call me that". 

"Calm down" Lapis held her hands out "just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out with us at lunch". 

Next to her Pearl nodded and looked over to Garnet, who had turned around. She stuck her thumb up and smiled. Peridot's cheek had grown darker. Lapis couldn't read Peridot that well but she looked a mix of confused and honoured. 

"Okay?" She replied. It was more of a question than an answer but the small group took it anyways, all grinning.

"It'd be nice to have another technician in the group" Pearl chuckled. 

Peridots eyes widened slightly. "You?" She asked, pointing a finger at the strawberry blonde girl. 

Pearl wearily nodded "yes, is that a problem? She raised an eyebrow, suddenly regretting the decision.

Peridot quickly shook her head, realising she had hit a nerve. "No, of course not" she glared at her feet, turning even redder.

Still frowning, Pearl got back to work and the others turned back around. They spent the rest of the lesson in an awkward silence. 

The bell broke the awkward silence. Everyone got up, packing away their stuff and walking out the classroom. Lapis was happy to have most of her classes with her friends. And Peridot. She wasn't sure how to feel about the blonde. She was rude, sarcastic but really cute??? Lapis sighed, frustrated. This was hard. 

"You Okay?" Pearl was by her side, walking along the corridor beside her in a steady pace. 

Lapis nodded, not wanting to talk. Pearl instantly dismissed it, turning to Amethyst and chatting. They would make a really good couple. Lapis smirked to herself. She could almost see Amethyst blushing. Or maybe it was just her imagination...

She shook her head slightly, watching Peridot in front of her. She was walking fast, hands buried in her pockets. Her hair looked even messier today, thinking about it made Lapis feel weird. She just met the girl, what the heck?? Lapis tried to get the feeling out of her system, instead focusing in on her companions conversations. Yeah, that worked. For now.


	5. Chapter 5

Peridot fidgeted in her seat. When Lapis said she could hang with her group for lunch, she didn't realise how big it was. In fact, they had to sit outside because it was too big for a table inside. But that was fine because most of them brought their own lunches and Peridot had picked up some pasta covered with tomato sauce on the way to their meeting place. She picked at the pasta with her plastic fork as she looked up to find some familiar faces. She couldn't remember who they were but she'd probably yelled at them before.

"Guys, you all know Peridot, right?" Lapis said a little too cheerily. 

A chorus as nods and groans could be heard from the group and suddenly, Peridot didn't feel as welcome as she had before. Her heart started beating faster and she felt more self conscious. She could feel eyes on her, which made her fidget more. Clearing her throat awkwardly, she stood up.

"I should...go" some of the group seemed to smile at her but Lapis frowned, looking up at the blonde with sad blue eyes. Peridot almost sat back down but didn't. Instead, she started walking away, regretting everything.

She could still feel eyes on her and she looked back to see everyone was back to normal, chatting and eating. Except for Lapis, who was staring at her feet. She looked pretty upset but Peridot knew she'd forget about it. Maybe soon enough, this would be laughed at. A nerd joining a popular group?? No.

Peridot made her way inside the school, finishing the last of her pasta, throwing the rest in the bin, then making her way up to the library. She sat down by a computer, hoping to get in some research before last period. A sharp throb came from her leg but she ignored it, she was used to random leg pains, it happened too often for her not to care. She rubbed her leg slightly and clicked onto Google chrome. 

Someone tapped her shoulder and she spun around on her chair, hand still massaging her leg. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. "Lapis?"

"Yeah...hi" she stood over the smaller girl, hands in her jeans pockets. "Sorry about earlier, apparently you have history with Ruby, who doesn't want you anywhere near her" she shrugged but still looked upset. 

"Its fine" Peridot tried to be tough, but seeing Lapis upset over her was breaking her. "Just... Leave me alone". 

Lapis smirked slightly, glancing over to her leg " you okay?" She asked, actual concern lacing her voice. Man, this girl was weird. 

Peridot nodded "it just hurts" she grunted as another throb hit her. Her hand automatically went back go her leg to rub around the sore area. 

"Let me see" Lapis said "I've had training" she added proudly, making Peridot roll her eyes.

"No" Peridot tried to keep calm but she could once again feel her heart beating faster. She wrapped both hands protectively around her leg and the throbbing got worse. Dammit, could this get any worse??

Lapis tilted her head to the side, like a confused puppy. Peridot felt weird. It was really cute. Wait. No.

"Is this why you hardly ever participate in P.E?" Lapis asked quietly, sitting on the seat next to her and logging onto the computer so she wouldn't get yelled at for taking up a chair. 

Peridot nodded, her cheeks growing red. "That and I'm just really lazy".

Lapis snorted loudly, making people turn towards them. Peridot tried to hide her face with her hoodie sleeve. 

"Okay, but seriously, what's wrong with it?" Lapis tapped her leg but drew back after a seconds, her eyes wide. "Wait...".

Peridot wanted to yell at her. She wanted to throw a tantrum but that would not solve anything at the moment. Instead she quickly logged off and stood up, running out the door and down the stairs. She almost tripped on the last one but managed to save herself. Looking back, she didn't see Lapis following her. She slowed down, turning down a corridor and walking up more steps. She had history last. Deciding to wait outside the room until the bell went, she sat down against the wall and tried her best not to freak out over the chain of things that had happened. She just wanted to be alone, get through school with good grades, go to college, graduate and get a good job. Friends weren't needed in that plan. 

\- - - 

Peridot stepped into the auditorium, and glanced up at the massive stage to her right. Today was the day before the first rehearsal, the head of drama was still choosing her cast after all. All the technicians were here, only around 5 including Peridot. She only recognised one, the sound guy. He was in the corner, a pair of thick black headphones covering his ears. There were a couple of people messing around with the piano, which had been moved from the stage to the other end of the room and just overall, everything was a mess. Peridot realised there was no teachers nearby, the one supposed to be supervising probably in one of the drama rooms doing something. 

Someone stepped out from behind the stage. Their hair looked familiar, a dark brown gradually turning into a light blonde at the tips. It looked dyed but somewhat natural at the same time.

"Oh, hey 'dot" Amethyst waved at her then went back to carrying equipment. 

Peridot sighed, angry at the nickname and sat down in a corner to play games on her phone until the teacher came back. It wasn't long until a teacher reappeared into the room, calling everyone into the middle of the room. Amethyst walked out from backstage along with Ruby and Jasper. Peridots heart sank. She sat as far away from them as she could and listened in on the lecture about safety and whatnot. 

This was going to be awful.


	6. Chapter 6

Lapis arrived at school the next day earlier than usual. In fact, so early, the bell hadn't gone yet. People turned to stare at the blue haired girl as she strode by, confused and surprised she was on time for once. She was, of course, known for being late to her first period class almost everyday. But today she needed to talk to Peridot. The only problem was, that although she knew the nerd would be in school, she didn't know where. Lapis froze when she entered the main building, sitting down on a chair and getting out her phone. She opened her messaging app and scrolled down her contacts, finding the right one almost instantly. She tapped on the name. 

Lapis: hey Ame, I'm @ school already and I need your help

Amethyst: sure, what with?? 

Lapis: Do you know where Peridot might be?

Amethyst: And why do you think I know this???

Lapis: because you know a lot more about her than anyone else I know... 

Lapis: like, seriously... How do you know so much about her?

Amethyst: that's for me to know and for you to find out ;)

Amethyst: she's in the library

Lapis rolled her eyes, a small smile playing at her lips. She slid her phone back into her pocket and stood up, letting the seat flip back up. Yeah, it was one of those plastic folding chairs. You couldn't really call them chairs though... More like... Seats?? Lapis made her way up the steps towards the library, humming to herself. She opened the door and stepped onto the carpeted floor, looking around for familiar blonde hair and bright green eyes. She spotted said person huddled in a corner beside a bookshelf. The blonde looked upset, she had dark bags under her eyes and a thick book in her hand. An energy drink sat beside her, balancing against her leg. 

Peridot sighed and brought the can up to her mouth, taking a long sip. Lapis walked up to her, sitting beside her and staring at the book. 

"You okay?" Lapis mumbled, making the blonde jump slightly. She shut the book, keeping a finger between the pages to remember where she had left off. Though Lapis did see a small green bookmark lying next to the can. 

"I'm fine, what do you want?" Peridot sounded grumpy. Even more than usual. 

"You just look really tired" Lapis tilted her head to the side, curious. 

Peridot growled and rubbed her eyes, trying to stifle a yawn but failing. She covered her mouth, blinked slowly and then continued to glare at Lapis. "I'm fine" she repeated. 

Lapis was having none of this. She had maths first period once again and sitting next to a tired, grumpy Peridot wasn't an option. 

"No you're not, now tell me what's up?" She stubbornly crossed her arms and shuffled into a comfortable position, closer to Peridot. 

Peridots cheeks were beginning to grow red and she turned her head, hoping Lapis wouldn't notice. "Why are you suddenly caring about me?" 

Lapis shrugged, not really having an answer. For some reason, she felt like Peridot deserved to be treated better, she had seen her face getting smashed in by Jasper regularly last year and didn't want it to happen again. Even if she was technically 'friends' with the bully. That was a problem she would solve later. 

"You deserve to have people care about you" Lapis blurted, suddenly being cut out of her thoughts. She glanced down at the smaller girl, who was tuning even redder. She looked as if she were about to cry. 

"But I'm such a loser" she said in barely a whisper. Lapis could hear her voice shaking slightly and debated whether or not to pull her into a hug or not. Would it be weird? Probably. "Its all because of my stupid leg. And stupid Jasper" she raised her voice, getting angry as well as upset. 

"Yeah, about your leg-" Lapis knew changing the subject would be risky and result in more yelling and crying but Peridot cut her off, her voice unusually calm. 

"I'm not telling you about my leg, I hardly know you" her gaze softened, surprising the bluenette. 

"Then get to know me!" It almost sounded like Lapis was pleading with her. She was very curious about the blondes past with Jasper and just wanted to get to know her better. Even though it sounded hard considering how stubborn and introverted she was. 

Peridot seemed to hesitate, finally bookmarking her place in the book and shoving it into her bag. She stood up, energy drink in hand. Stretching, she took another sip and held out a hand to help Lapis up. Well, this was a good start. Lapis gave her a smile and accepted the offer. Both were now standing up, staring awkwardly at each other. 

The bell brought them back into reality and they both walked shoulder to shoulder to the maths block. They arrived to a half full classroom and sat down at the back. 

\- - -

Lunch time rolled around quickly and instead of Lapis going to her usual group, she grabbed Peridot's hand and dragged her towards the drama block. It had been two days since auditions and she was very confident that she had gotten the lead role. She pushed the door open, almost hitting a kid sitting behind it, and strode along the corridor. Stopping in front of a piece of paper taped to the door of her drama classroom, she scanned through the list. She spotted her name at the bottom next to the lead character. Lapis grinned, raising her hands in the air and pulling Peridot into a tight hug, spinning her around. 

Peridot squeaked, her face growing bright red. When Lapis finally let go, the blonde stepped back, warily glancing at the bluenette. Lapis laughed and pulled her closer. 

By now, people who were sitting in the corridor were staring at them. Peridot tried to hide, pulling her hood over her face and turning. She didn't like people staring at her, it made her very self conscious and anxious. But Lapis, being the social butterfly she was, only grabbed her sleeve and pulled her outside, still laughing happily. 

"I guess we'll be working together for a while" she winked at Peridot as they stepped out. 

Peridot groaned and pulled her hood further down. Lapis chuckled and patted her back, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and guiding her towards the canteen.


	7. Chapter 7

Peridot frowned as she raised her arm to open her car door. She had made the mistake of turning her head when someone had called her name. Normally, she just ignored them, yelled insults at them or just flipped them off but this time...it was Lapis. Now that she thought about it, the blue haired girl never left her alone and it made her very uncomfortable. 

"Hey Peridot!" Lapis ran over to her, cutting her out of her dumb thoughts. Peridot blinked, letting go of the car door to turn towards the blue haired girl.

"What" she deadpanned, trying to show the cheerful girl that she wanted nothing to do with her. Not at the moment. Peridot did enjoy her company but sometimes it was too much. To overwhelming for someone who has had no social life for a very long time. 

"I didn't know you could drive" Lapis' ocean blue eyes were wide and it made Peridot feel weird. Why was she so surprised, she lived on her own and had practically no money, of course she had to drive herself everywhere. But Lapis didn't know that...

"Yeah" Peridot didn't know what else to say. She could feel herself start to sweat and adjusted her dark green hoodie. 

Suddenly Lapis looked awkward. She stared at her shoes for a couple of seconds before looking up into Peridots eyes and biting her lip. 

"Hey, can you drive me home? I left my bus pass at my house and I'm broke" she gave a light hearted laugh.

"Sure I guess" Peridot didn't want to but she guessed she would return the favour as Lapis was technically her 'friend' now. Well, it felt more one sided but Lapis was a nice person. 

Lapis grinned and shoved her bag into the back seat before getting in next to Peridot. Both sat at the front as Peridot had a ton of junk at the back. Half of it was because the blonde was too lazy to clean the other half was tech projects. 

"So" Lapis began as Peridot started up her car. Her eyes were locked on the road in front of her as lapis started talking loudly in her ear. Part of her regretted doing this. 

Peridot hummed in response, reaching over to turn on the radio. Lapis stopped her, placing a tan hand on hers, making the blonde blush. Peridot pulled away and took a second to glare at the other before turning her eyes back to the road. 

"I just want to talk to you" Lapis said "you seem like a nice girl" she adjusted her seatbelt and stared out the window, waiting for a response. 

The blonde snorted. Lapis frowned. Did the shorter girl honestly believe she wasn't a nice person? Amethyst mentioned some sort of accident, maybe that was it?? Would she dare ask?

"Well" Lapis pressed on, hoping to get something out of Peridot "turn right down here- Okay, so, tell me about yourself". 

Peridot shrugged "what do you want to know?" Something inside her head was telling her to stop but she ignored it. It was overpowering her anxiety and it felt kinda nice? She felt calmer around Lapis, even when she was being annoying. 

"Y'know, favourite colour? Animal? Family?" 

"Uh" peridot hesitated at family. To her, she had no family "my favourite colours green, I love wolves, there pretty cool I guess" pausing, she added "I'm not a furry, though" That earned her a snort from Lapis. she stopped, turning left down a thin road before finishing "and I don't really have anyone I can call family anymore".

This was supposed to be a simple statement but it made Lapis even more intrigued. She wanted Peridot to go on but she didn't. 

"You okay" Lapis turned to look at Peridot. She was worried to say the least. 

Peridot bit her lip and nodded, suddenly slamming on the brakes. Lapis shot forward, hitting her forehead on the dashboard. She drew back, holding her head. 

"We're here" Peridots voice shook slightly as she spoke. She had tried to hide it but it was very hard when you were on the verge of a breakdown. 

Peridot stepped out of the car, breathing in the crisp afternoon air before opening the other door for Lapis. The blue haired girl stepped out, grabbed her bag and thanked Peridot. Peridot just nodded, not trusting herself to say anything. 

"You wanna come inside for a bit, my parents are away for a couple of days" Lapis offered, waving her arms towards her house. 

Peridot hesitated, looking very unsure. Half of her wanted to accept the offer and the other half wanted to go home and stare at the ceiling and think about what she'd done. How she regretted this so much because she was starting to realise something. She had developed a small crush on a girl she'd properly met a couple of days ago. Taking this opportunity, Peridot nodded. Lapis smiled and guided her inside. Locking her car and shoving the keys in her bag, which she had taken out just because, she followed her inside. 

The first thing that Peridot realised was that pretty much all of the first floor of the house was wallpapered in some shade of blue. It was sort of unsettling in a way Peridot couldn't explain. And yet she followed Lapis, all the way down a short hallway and into what looked like a kitchen.

It wasn't like anything else in the house Peridot had seen whilst walking there. It was crisp and white. There was a large counter that outlined the room, cupboards lined above and below it, painted a light grey. The counter itself, Peridot didn't recognise. Some sort of stone?? There was also a fridge, it was pretty small compared to the rest of the kitchen and had old pictures of a younger Lapis covering it. Peridot smirked. 

Lapis followed her trail of sight and blushed. She quickly opened the fridge "want anything to eat?" She tried to change the subject which just amused Peridot even more. 

"You're a brunette" she replied, raising an eyebrow. For some reason she couldn't see Lapis having any hair colour other than blue. 

Lapis nodded, choosing not to talk. She reached into fridge and came out with a bottle of fruit punch. Getting two cups, she poured the red liquid in and made a grab for a large bag of crisps sitting on top of the counter. She slipped in some unidentifiable liquid on the clean floor and grabbed onto said counter for balance. She missed and closed her eyes, waiting for the impact of her face smashing into the floor but it didn't come. Instead, she felt surprisingly strong arms wrap around her skinny torso. She slowly opened her eyes to see green eyes staring back.

"Woah" Lapis breathed, standing up and glancing down at Peridot. "That was so romantic!" 

Peridot blushed furiously, turning her head and replacing her small smile with a scowl. "Shut up".


	8. Chapter 8

Lapis smirked as she saw Peridot turning red. It was surprisingly fun to fluster her. She got flustered so easily, Lapis wasn't sure if the smaller girl had feelings for her, if it was just her presence or the way she teased her. Because, even though Lapis wasn't sure if she even liked girls or not, Peridot was very good looking. Yes, she was very pale but the freckles scattered around her face, lapis found cute. And her short blonde hair and her unnaturally green eyes and her smirk...Lapis felt weird. 

"Earth to Lapis..." Peridot raised an eyebrow as Lapis blinked back into reality. After realising she had been staring at the blonde for who knows how long, her cheeks flushed red. 

"S-sorry" Lapis not to let her strange feelings bother her. She had invited Peridot into her house to get to know her better, and that was what she was going to do. 

Grabbing Peridot's small hand, Lapis led her through the small corridor leading from the kitchen and turned a sharp left. Ahead of them was a staircase; small carpeted steps leading up to the second floor of the house. The carpet was a strange looking beige with a couple of odd coloured stains scattered here and there. 

"That was my cat" Lapis explained, noticing Peridot staring at a particularly large stain at the bottom of the staircase. 

Peridot blinked and looked up at Lapis "you have a cat?" She asked, a little surprised. 

Lapis grinned and nodded. Hands still intertwined, the blue haired girl pulled her up the stairs and into her room. Peridot let out a quiet gasp, looking around the medium sized bedroom in awe. It had blue walls, the ocean painted around the bottom. Her carpet was a faded yellow, looking like sand in contrast with her wall. The bed was tucked away in a corner, dark blue covers draped over it. On the other side, there was a desk filled with old sketchbooks and Lapis' laptop. Scattered around were various sized canvases, some with paint on them, some without. In conclusion, it was a lot tidier than Peridot's. And a lot prettier.

"So you're an artist?" Peridot asked, walking over to an especially colourful canvas to observe it. It was very impressive, the detail of the ocean contrasting with the sky. It looked like watercolour, the way the sea was made of blended blues and greens. 

"Yup" Lapis flopped down onto her bed, a goofy grin on her face. The bed made a weird noise and Peridot spun around with a raised eyebrow. 

"Is that a waterbed?" Peridot didn't even need to ask. It was obvious but the way it moved with Lapis on it. Like a blowup mattress but bigger and...watery?

Peridot went back to gazing around Lapis' room. From the corner, she heard her gasp happily and reached over her bed to grab something. A small meow made Peridot turn once again.

A large tabby cat was sitting on Lapis, its green-blue eyes glaring daggers at Peridot. It was the angriest cat she had ever seen. Though she would never admit it, Peridot was a little intimidated by the cats size. Lapis didn't seem to see her counterparts distress and held up the cat. 

"This is malachite" she set the cat down and patted its head. "But like to call her malacat" she chuckled at her own joke.

"You're kidding" Peridot sighed almost angrily when Lapis shook her head. 

"Nope! I just thought since most of my friends and I are named after gems.." She trailed off with a small shrug and a smile. "Jasper helped me name her". 

The sound of that name made Peridot noticeably wince. Were Lapis and Jasper friends?? If they were, this would be a problem. Lapis frowned and set down her cat, standing up to pull Peridot onto her bed. Peridot landed on top of her and blanched. She slid off and bounced slightly as she fell on the bed. She sighed. 

"Sorry" Lapis mumbled softly "sometimes I forget how horrible she is now and think about the old times" 

Peridot nodded, understanding "yeah, I know". Tears started gathering in her eyes but she blinked them away. "She tries her best to shove me in a locker everyday" she let out a shaky breath "or beat me up. Or taunt me" Peridot stopped talking as soon as her voice cracked. 

She felt two arms wrap around her and a head rest on her shoulder. She was being hugged. By lapis. Peridot blushed. 

"So" Lapis said, adjusting her position so she was closer to the blonde. "Sorry if this is a bad time but....your leg?" She tapped it. There was no hiding it now.

"Uh" Peridot gingerly took off her shoes and rolled up her jeans. She heard Lapis gasp and when she looked up, the bluenette was grinning, blue eyes shining. "It's a Prosthetic".

Her leg was cut off by the knee, and in its place, complicated looking prosthetic. 

"What happened" Lapis blurted, running a hand down her leg. She knew this would be a touchy subject but her curiosity got the better of her. 

She saw Peridot tense from the corner of her eye and knew she had hit a nerve. "Sorry but no" was all that was said from the blonde. 

"Anyways" Lapis retracted her arm and let Peridot roll down her jeans and slip on her shoes before continuing "wanna play Mario kart of something?"

Peridots glazed eyes lit up and a small, dorky smile appeared on her freckled face. "I thought you'd never ask" she chuckled. 

Of course Peridot had spotted the game consoles by her desk. Lapis picked out Mario kart, slipping it into her Wii and grabbing two controllers and a steering wheel. Peridot chose not to use one, bragging about how good she was whilst the game loaded. 

This was the fist time Peridot had opened up to anyone in a long time and to be honest, it felt great.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! I made a writing blog on tumblr. 
> 
> The link is https://s-burban.tumblr.com if you have any questions, feel free to send me an ask, I'm more likely to answer them fully than on here. 
> 
> I'm also planning on writing a Lapidot Oneshot thing on Sburban. My writing style is a little different now (this is an old fic) but its still me!! 
> 
> Feel free to send me prompts both on here, and on Tumblr. Thanks!

Peridot set down the controller, glancing at the small ocean themed alarm clock on Lapis' desk. It read 9:25pm. Sighing, she stood up, making Lapis pause what she was doing and look up with wide blue eyes. 

"I have to go, its getting pretty late" all Peridot could do was avoid eye contact and nod towards the clock. For some reason, the thought of leaving Lapis' company made her feel sad. Her company made her feel happy and safe, even though she'd never say that out loud. 

Lapis nodded, a flash of sadness showing on her face but it was gone as quickly as it came. Peridot blinked and turned around to pick up her bag and leave the room. She felt a warm hand on her shoulder which for some reason, sent a shiver down her spine. She hoped Lapis didn't notice. 

"Its been fun! Maybe we could hang out like this again?" Lapis asked, a goofy grin on her face. 

"Uh...sure" Peridot didn't know how to react. She hasn't been asked this in a very long time and it made her feel more secure in an odd way. Knowing that someone actually cared about her. 

Lapis' smile widened and she squeezed the blondes shoulder before turning around and picking up a piece of what looked like scrap paper and tearing the bottom of it off. Next, she got a pen. Blue of course, and scribbled down something, handing it to Peridot and pushing her out of her room. The smaller girl waved a goodbye and walked out of the blue girls house and entered her car. She opened her closed fist and stared at the piece of paper. It was her number. She had gotten a girls number! Peridot wore a small grin all the way home. It only faltered when she opened the door to her own house to find it empty. This was usual. It was always empty but this time a sense of loneliness made Peridot shiver. 

Peridot flicked on the lights and made her way towards the kitchen, opening drawers and such until she found something edible and to her taste. A bag of doritos caught her eye. She lifted it from the top shelf and stared at it. The cheese flavoured ones. Nice. Opening it up and digging into her snack, she slowly walked up to her room.

When she had finished, she tossed the bag to the side and lay down on her bed, trying to find a comfortable position. Finally finding one, she closed her eyes. 

\- - - 

For once, Peridot's alarm didn't wake her up. She had forgotten to set it the previous day. No, today she was awoken by a sound she hadn't heard in a long time. A text. Groggily, she sat up, rubbing her eyes and placing her glasses on the end of her nose. Picking up her phone, she tapped on a couple of things and opened up the text. It was from Lapis. Of course it was. How she got the blondes number was a mystery. If she was correct, she had given Peridot her number, not the other way round. But Peridot was still a little drowsy, she had slept surprisingly well last night. Maybe she had scribbled down her own digits, maybe she hadn't.

Lapis: Mornin' Peri

Peridot: I told you not to call me that. 

Lapis: aww come on D: 

Peridot: what do you want? 

Lapis: just wanted to say hi!

Lapis: and to see if you wanted to hang out after school?? Rehearsals don't start until next week 

Peridot: Did you even think about asking me this at school?

Lapis: oh... Well, too late now! So yes or no?

Peridot: Fine, fine. Look, I'll see you at school, I need to get ready. 

Lapis: you're gonna be late ;) 

Peridot: Shut up, no I won't...

Peridot sighed and ran a hand through her short hair. Standing up, she made her way to the pile of stray clothes in the corner of her room and picked out a green flannel shirt and some skinny jeans. 

Getting changed quickly, she ran down the stairs, almost tripping but saving herself at the last moment. Stopping at the bottom of the staircase, she waited until her heartbeat slowed down, panting slightly. Then, she ran straight to her car, hopping in and starting it up. There was no time for food or getting ready. She had overslept. 

Upon arriving at school, she noticed a couple of people hanging around outside and breathed out a sigh of relief. Parking and then stepping out, she tried to compose herself, attempting to flatten her terrible bed head before walking into the building. She glanced at the time. Five minutes to get to her English class. 

The bell blared out as soon as she stepped into the room. Sliding into her seat next to Amethyst, she set out her things and looked up, waiting for the teacher to arrive. Lapis sat a couple rows back next to Pearl. She knew the blue haired girl was staring at her. It made her feel uncomfortable even though it was Lapis. 

Amethyst nudged Peridot slightly with her arm, a lopsided grin on her chubby face. "Hey Peridot, did Lapis ask if you wanted to hang out after school?"

Peridot nodded, hesitant to answer. Amethysts grin widened, her dark eyes sparkling. 

"Nice! You'll get to meet Steven and Connie, they're pretty cool" for some reason, the first name clicked and Peridot turned around to awkwardly glance and the brunette girl. 

"Steven? That chubby kid who complements everyone?" Peridot only knew the kid because when they ever walked past each other, Steven would either greet her or complement her on her clothing, hair or whatever. 

Amethyst nodded "and Connie. She's in the same year as Steven. She's pretty quiet so I think you'll get along with her" she smirked and nudged Peridot again. 

Peridot growled quietly and shuffled away from the girl. Well, as far away as once could get when they were sitting at the same desk. 

The teacher finally walked in, sitting himself in front of the computer to get up a PowerPoint presentation for the lesson. The class grew quiet but Peridot could till feel Lapis' stare. She wanted to turn around and glare back but something in the back of her mind told her not to. Instead, she scowled and looked up towards the front, concentrating other lesson instead of the pretty blue haired girl behind her.


	10. Chapter 10

Lapis sat down on the wall outside of the schools main building. The bell had sounded around five minutes ago and groups of people were slowly walking towards the gates. And then there was Lapis. She was waiting for Peridot, knowing she had tech last and was probably going to be late because well... It was her favourite lesson. Nerd. 

Amethyst had texted her prior, telling her to meet the small group at the park near her house. She had agreed, telling her she was waiting for Peridot and wouldn't be long. But now she was getting kinda worried. Standing up and slinging her bag over one shoulder, she decided to go to the tech building to check up on her. She walked in and knocked on the door to the room. She knew this was Peridot's classroom because of all the electronic junk lying around. The others were either computer rooms or textile classrooms. 

A teacher opened the door and peered down at lapis. "Yes?" She asked, obviously not wanting to be there. 

"I was wondering if you knew where Peridot is?" Lapis replied as politely as she could "I figured she'd be here".

The teacher shook her head, telling the blue haired girl she had left a while ago. But not in the direction of the only exit of the school. In fact, it was the other way, towards the English block. Processing this new information, Lapis thanked the teacher and jogged towards the English block. She almost kicked the door off its hinges as she entered the building, frantically looking around for the familiar head of blonde hair. Instead, she was met by a scene of scattered books, stationary and blood. Eyes wide, she turned around the corner and saw Jasper standing over Peridot, her large hands clenched into tight fists. 

"That's what you get for disobeying me" the larger girl growled, her dark eyes flashing. 

Peridot, who was on the floor, holding her bleeding...face, looked up to meet eyes with Jasper. Her glasses were off, thrown to the other side of the corridor and snapped in half. She could barely see. 

"I'm not your slave" her voice cracked and she winced. 

Jasper threw back her head and laughed, pressing a foot against Peridot's back, making her sprawl against ground with a small yelp. She looked hurt but it wasn't too bad. Not yet. Lapis stepped into view, clearing her throat loudly. Jasper spun around, her eyes growing wide but showing no fear. When she saw who it was, her evil grin widened and she took her foot off Peridot to walk up to the shorter girl. 

"Lapis lazuli" she greeted "come to help me beat up this nerd?" Her question made Lapis grit her teeth. It took all her will not to punch her in the face. 

"No, I came to tell you to stop" Lapis said in almost a growl. 

By now, Peridot had gotten up to retrieve what was left of her glasses. She frowned when she saw how battered they were and started mumbling angrily to herself, ignoring the injuries on her pale face. 

Jasper raised an eyebrow at Lapis, taking her time to process what she was saying. "What!? You're on her side" she jabbed a finger towards Peridot, who was rubbing her eyes. Lapis couldn't tell if we was crying or not. 

Angrily huffing, Jasper turned to storm off. But not before she glared down at Peridot, mouthing something to her, making the smaller shudder. Lapis ran up to her, helping her to her feet. Peridot was doubled over in pain, her eyes screwed shut. 

Frantically, Lapis checked the time. Fifteen minutes after the bell had gone, just enough time to get things sorted. She ran to the medical room, Peridot trailing slowly behind her. Knocking on the door, she waited for an answer, checking over Peridot herself. The blonde looked okay, just a couple of bruises and scratches. 

The door opened, revealing a tall woman with bright eyes. Her curly hair that cascaded down her back was a light pink and she wore the usual medical staff uniform. A simple shirt and trousers. When she looked over to Peridot, her eyes widened slightly and she ushered both girls into the room. 

Lapis got out her phone and sat down whilst Peridot jumped up into a taller seat. Rose, the school nurse, checked over her, mumbling something Lapis couldn't quite catch. 

Lapis: Hey Amethyst we might not make it this time 

Amethyst: aww why not?? We're all waiting for ya 

Lapis: peridot got hurt

Amethyst: I'm not even gonna ask

Amethyst: just text me if you guys are still coming, we'll be at the park for a little longer then we're heading over to the big donut

Lapis: OK

Lapis sighed and looked up. Peridot held a tissue to her nose in one hand and an icepack in the other. Rose was nowhere to be seen. 

"You okay Peri?" Lapis asked, trying to break to silence in the room.

Peridot winced at the sudden sound and slowly turned her head to look at the blue haired girl. She gave her a little nod before going back to staring at the floor. 

Lapis opened up the messaging app back up on her phone. 

Lapis: I don't think peridot can come this time

Amethyst: yeah that's OK, we can reschedule 

Lapis: cool

She was grateful the she had such considerate friends. But right now, she had to look after Peridot. Lapis stood up and walked over to her, sitting herself next to her. Peridot didn't flinch. 

Rose came back into the room, holding a slip of paper which she handed to Peridot. Next, she handed her a small box and helped her up. 

"Can you help her home? If there are any problems, come see me tomorrow" Rose said, a small smile on her face. 

Lapis nodded and carefully gripped Peridots arm, guiding her out of the room and then, out of the school. 

"My...car" the blonde mumbled, pulling Lapis towards the carpark. 

"But I can't drive drive" Lapis protested, causing Peridot to chuckle to herself. 

"You won't be the one driving" she wriggled out of Lapis' hold and got in, patting the seat next to her with a smile. 

Lapis grinned and got into the car.


	11. Chapter 11

Peridot stopped the car outside Lapis' house and turned towards the blue haired girl. Lapis herself raised an eyebrow, which made Peridot scowl. 

"Get out" Peridot said as politely as she could. She was tired and aching and just wanted to go home and sleep. But Lapis...Lapis was preventing all that and she was getting impatient. 

"Okay" Lapis said slowly, unsure of what to do. Her hand hovered over the handle, debating whether or not to open it or to see what happened if she didn't. "I'll text you later, you need to rest" she had concluded that it would be best to leave Peridot to rest, she seemed angry. 

Peridot nodded, watching quietly as Lapis stepped out of the car, picked up her bag and walked up to her house. The lights were on inside, telling the blonde that people, supposedly her parents, were inside. As if on queue, the door opened, revealing a tall dark skinned man wearing a suit. Lapis greeted the man with a hug and shut the door. Sighing, Peridot pressed down on the gas pedal and made her way back to her own house. 

It was a cold Thursday afternoon in early Autumn. The leaves were beginning to fall off the trees that lined the streets towards her house. Trees were covered in pretty oranges and deep reds but Peridot was too distracted by the sudden pain in her head to admire them. She swerved slightly, thankful that no one else was on the road and parked her car, stumbling out of it and into her house. Inside, she managed to sit down, pulling her broken glasses out of her pocket and squinting at them. She could barely see without them, driving was risky, sure, but there was no other way to get home. She had no money. 

Beginning to regret not owning contact lenses, she searched through the drawers in her kitchen, trying to find something to temporarily fix the glasses. Her head throbbed with each movement of her eyes. She squeezed them shut and sat down on the tiled floor, slowly rubbing her eyes with her palms. It hurt, this wasn't fair. She had no money for new glasses, she had to fix them. She looked back up and was surprised to see her vision was even more bleary. Blinking, a tear ran down her cheek and she angrily rubbed it off with the sleeve of her flannel. Placing her glasses on the counter, she continued searching through the drawers and finding nothing that could help her current situation, she gave up. 

Peridot was lucky her injuries weren't that bad. Jasper had beaten her up before and one time she had been hospitalised. Shaking the negative thoughts out of her head, Peridot began to slowly make her way out of the kitchen and into her living room, using the counter to lean her weight on. Her head was still throbbing, a little worse now that she had entered the bright room. 

Raising her hand to rub at her eyes, she stopped when she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. Realising Lapis had promised to text her, she got it out and sat down on the couch, after pulling the curtains shut, leaving the room dark. This made her head feel a little better. Before she had left the kitchen, she had taken some pills and it had helped a little.

When opening up her phone, Peridot flinched as the sudden bright light hit her face, illuminating the room with a blue hue. She checked her notifications. Yup, it was Lazuli. 

Lapis: heey Peri, how ya doing????

Peridot: First of all; I told you not to call me that. And I'm doing fine, thanks. 

Lapis: good to know :D rest is the best way to feel better tbh

Peridot: Yeah, I'm heading up to bed now, though I might need new glasses...

Peridot glanced back at her broken glasses, laying on the counter. Sighing loudly to no one in particular, she strode up the rest of the steps and into her room before hearing her phone buzz in her hand. 

Lapis: aww that sucks :( ever thought of getting contacts? 

Peridot: Yes but no. 

Peridot dropped her phone onto the bed before falling next to it. She was tired and her whole body ached from Jaspers punches. Closing her eyes, she drifted off to sleep, not hearing the buzz that came after her phone had hit her bed. 

\- - -

The blonde woke up feeling even worse than the day before. Her head was ten times worse than it had been and now her whole body throbbed with it. She couldn't move without being in immense pain and she felt like she was about to throw up. Groaning, she slowly turned to her side, propping herself up on her elbow and picking up her phone. Lapis had texted her last night. Multiple times, in fact. Swallowing down the sickly feeling in her throat, she opened up her phone. 

Lapis: why not?? Contacts are awesome 

Lapis: peridot?

Lapis: Peri

Lapis: eh, you probably passed out...

Peridot: Morning.

Peridot waited for the reply, stepping out of bed and immediately feeling light headed. She wasn't sure why she felt like this, Jasper hadn't hurt her that bad, she just felt... Sick and gross and her head hurt because she now had no glasses. Her phone buzzed. 

Lapis: good mornin' 

Peridot: I'm not coming to school today, I feel horrible...

Peridot: Just a heads up, I know we have maths today.

Lapis: that sucks... its the first week back lmao

Lapis: want me to pop round after school to help?

Peridot: You say that like you know my address.

Peridots lips twitched upwards into a small smirk. Lapis could be so cute sometimes. Wait....

Lapis: oh yeah... Well, I want to help!

Peridot: No, I'm fine 

Lapis: I'll get it off amethyst then ;)

Peridot: Wait what??

Peridot: ...

peridot: Lapis?

Frustrated and slightly worried about the fact that Amethyst knew where she lived, she slammed her phone into her bed and growled into her pillow. She didn't need help. She was fine. Having friends was so frustrating.


	12. Chapter 12

Lapis set her phone down on the canteen table. Because of Peridot's absence, she had met up with her friends and was eating lunch with them. At first, they had complained about Peridot but Lapis had managed to convince some of them to turn over a new leaf and actually get to know her. Pearl and Amethyst had agreed, Garnet and Sapphire just nodded and Ruby... She declined. Lapis wasn't surprised, just a little disappointed. 

The bluenette turned to Amethyst. The shorter was eating a sandwich with an undescribable substance inside it. Her mouth was lingering over it, her dark eyes lingering on Lapis. Taking this as an opportunity, Lapis opened her mouth to speak. 

"Hey Ame, do you know Peridot's address?" She asked in a barely audible mumble, making sure the others sitting around her didn't hear. They'd probably think she was weird. 

A wide grin spread across this tanned girls features. "Why do you ask?" Knowingly, she took a bite out of her sandwich. A drop of white...liquid dropped onto the table, making Pearl sigh. 

"Just curious" she answered as casually as she could. To be honest she didn't know the full reason. She was just worried. 

Her reply seemed to go over Amethysts head. The brunette had already ripped out a page from one of her books, stole a pen from Pearl, and was scribbling down what looked like an address. Seconds later, she passed it over to Lapis, who brought it closer to her face to read it... And to make sure the others didn't spot what was on said paper. Noticing no one was actually looking at her, Lapis brought the paper down and slid it into her pocket. Everything was quiet at the table, it was always like this. Amethyst had gone back to eating, Pearl was catching up on homework, Garnet had left the table a while ago and probably wasn't coming back and Ruby and Sapphire were doing cute couple stuff. 

Lapis sighed to herself, and leant forward onto the table, propping her head up with her hand. Taking out her phone, she decided to attempt to text Peridot. After around five minutes of one sided conversation and two attempts at calls, the blue haired girl gave up, sighing once more. Pearls head snapped up from her school book. 

Placing her pen down and raising and eyebrow she asked "is everything all right?" 

Touched by Pearl's worry, Lapis nodded, sending her a small smile. Unconvinced, Pearl shook her head and continued to work, until her neat handwriting covered the entire page. Only then did she shut her book, placing it back into her bag and turning to talk to Amethyst. 

It was always like this, Lapis being the 'outcast' of the group, even though she liked to think of herself as 'the glue that held them together'. She technically was. Well, her and Amethyst. But Amethyst was much more popular and likeable than she was. Lapis was extrovert, sure, but she wasn't as outgoing as the small brunette who was now stood up and yelling at Pearl. 

Those two always fought but somehow managed to make up. They were like, the best of friends and though Lapis would never admit it out loud, she secretly shipped them. 

Nobody knew how they did it but she guessed they were just perfect for each other. With a small smirk on her face, Lapis stood up and walked out of the canteen, not bothering to tell the others where she was going. 

Leaning against a row of lockers, she took out the slip of paper with Peridot's supposed address. Amethyst could be pranking her but the only way she could tell was by going to said address. It was surprisingly close to her street, only a ten minute walk down a long road, turn left and then you're there. Lapis was determined to take the risk if it meant that Peridot would get better faster. 

The bell rang and Lapis turned around and headed to her last class, clutching the paper in her hand. 

\- - - 

"It should be..." Lapis narrowed her eyes at the paper then back down the street the house was supposedly on. She looked up at the house next to her, recognising the number as the same on the paper. "Here!" 

With a small grin, she stepped up to the door, her hand lingering for a little too long. Negative thoughts passed in her mind, making her lower her hand and hesitate. What if this was the wrong house? What if Peridot didn't want her here? What if she got angry and stopped talking to Lapis? 

Her heart thumped in her chest and she closed her eyes and knocked three times. A couple of seconds later she heard a familiar voice coming from the other side of the door. This made Lapis' confidence come back. Her shoulders relaxed.

"One sec!" The voice was muffled but still audible. It was definitely Peridot. 

More shuffling was heard and then a loud thump and a groan. Biting back a chuckle, Lapis waited, fiddling with the zip of her bag. 

Finally, the door opened to reveal Peridot, messy haired and wrapped in a blanket. She was rubbing her head, massaging it as she looked up at Lapis with happy green eyes. 

"Hey" she said, her lips twitching upwards in an awkward smile. 

"Hi" Lapis stepped into the house when peridot moved aside. "Told ya I'd come". 

Peridot hummed in reply, wrapping the dark green blanket tighter around herself and shuffling back into what looked like the living room. 

It was quite a large room with pale yellow walls. A decent sized TV sat at one end, and a couch on the other, next to a smaller armchair with even more blankets draped over it and a pillow sitting on one arm. 

"Did I Wake you up?" Lapis was suddenly hesitant again, not wanting to interrupt the blondes much needed sleep. 

Peridot shook her head "not really. I was trying but it's hard when your whole body hurts" she began rubbing her forehead again, slumping into the armchair with a tired sigh. 

Lapis sat down on the couch, observing the decor of the room. Along the yellow walls were multiple pictures of paintings, drawings and old photos of a smaller Peridot standing next to a very tall blonde woman with light brown eyes wearing a suit. In the corner of the room stood a framed picture of a man with green eyes. The frame was cracked and broken and the shelf that it sat on was dusty and looked like it hadn't been cleaned for years.

Blinking, lapis turned to Peridot "wanna watch a film or something?" 

Peridot nodded, her eyes half lidded. Lapis grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned on the TV.


	13. Chapter 13

Peridot could feel herself slowly drifting off to sleep as she curled up on the armchair. Lapis was knelt beside the TV, quietly going through the films placed in a small cupboard underneath it. Peridot stared at her from under her nest of blankets. Maybe watching a film wasn't the best idea; her head was still throbbing and she couldn't move without feeling a jolt of pain run through her body. Only half of this was Jaspers fault. The other half was probably the way Peridot took care of herself. Usually, she stayed up until early morning playing video games until she passed out. Then, arriving at school at least half an hour before the bell went. Not to mention that her diet consisted of mostly junk food and caffeine. 

Lapis standing up and walking over to her holding a case in her hand brought the blonde out of her daydream. Peridot blinked before looking up at Lapis and then to the case she was holding in her hand. It was a Disney movie. This was very like Lapis. But, Peridot wasn't complaining, she had practically grew up on Disney films. This film in particular caught her eyes and a small smile grew on her face. 

"You like?" Lapis was grinning, opening the case to carefully take out the disk and place it in the DVD player. She handed Peridot the remote and instructed her to start the film. 

Slightly giddy, Peridot nodded at lapis' question and pressed a few buttons on the remote before the title screen for 'The Lion King' came up on the large flat screen TV. 

Before starting the film, Peridot looked over to Lapis again, clearing her throat to gain her attention. Lapis stared at her with a raised eyebrow. 

"Can you grab my medicine, its in the kitchen" Peridot began "and a mountain dew. You can pick some stuff for yourself as well".

Lapis nodded and went off in the direction Peridot was pointing to. Her kitchen was very tidy and so white it was almost blinding. After a couple of seconds, the bluenette emerged carrying her pills, two bottles of mountain dew and some popcorn in two small bowls. She handed half the food and the pills over to Peridot before taking a seat on the couch and practically sprawling out into a 'draw me like one of your French girls' pose. 

Peridot snickered, swallowing the pills with a big gulp of mountain dew and starting the movie. 

\- - - 

Around halfway through the movie, Peridot was on the verge of falling asleep. She had eaten all her refreshments and by the looks of it, so had Lapis. Now she was laying in her armchair, blanket pulled up to her chin. She still didn't have glasses so the TV was blurry and hurt her eyes a bit but the movie was still enjoyable. Especially when Lapis had started crying. Peridot had stumbled over to her for an awkward hug but then went back to her seat when Lapis pulled away. She felt somewhat hurt by the fact she nearly pushed the smaller girl off of her own couch. 

But, here she was, practically asleep while her new friend sat near her, quietly watching the film. Lapis hadn't said a word since the movie began, except for a small watery thanks when Peridot hugged her and to complain when she had finished her food. Peridot had told her she could get more but she didn't leave her spot. 

Of course the blonde had just shrugged it off as Lapis not wanting to come off as greedy or rude but she honestly didn't mind. 

By the end credits of the film, Peridot was fast asleep, snoring softly to herself, still tangled in her blankets. It was only then did Lapis look up from the TV, standing up and stretching. Sitting in the same position for hours did make your limbs ache. In a weird way. 

"What now, 'dot?" Lapis frowned once she got no reply. Not even a grumble from the smaller girl to not call her that. Instead, her answer was the steady breathing of the sleeping girl. 

With a smirk, Lapis stood over Peridot, hands on hips. She didn't know what to do. Leave or stay? Staying would just be weird so she figured to just leave the blonde to get some well needed rest. 

Cleaning up the mess of empty packets and bottles, and some stray popcorn here and there, Lapis concluded that it would be only fair if she did Peridot a favour and took her to her room, as a bed is much more comfortable than a tiny armchair. Peridot was just lucky she was small enough the lay comfortably on it. 

Picking her up bridal style, Lapis walked up to the second floor of the house and looked down the corridor. There were three rooms and a bathroom placed at the end. One of the doors was slightly ajar. Lapis peered in, seeing a single bed in an almost empty room. The walls were white, the bedsheets were white. The only thing that wasn't white was the cream carpet that looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Lapis had concluded that this must be some sort of guest room. 

The second room  was locked. She guessed it must be her parents room, that or Peridot had a key for the door. Deciding not to pat Peridot down in hopes of said key, she moved to the third room. The door opened when she tried the handle and as she stepped inside, was instantly hit by the smell of doritos and something else Lapis could quite catch. 

Looking around, the walls were painted a pastel green and there was a double bed in the corner, riddled with Pokémon plushies that lined the side. The bedsheets were a darker green with little yellow diamonds printed onto them. A few blankets lay strewn on top with video game logos on them. This was definitely Peridot's room. She dropped the blonde onto her bed and wrapped her in a blanket before observing the room more. 

Adjacent to the bed was an Xbox and above that, a TV. A few games sat beside it, none that particularly caught Lapis' attention. Next to that was a desk, painted black with a few sheets of paper, folders and a laptop placed upon it. The laptop was open on a word document and with further inspection, it seemed to be a tech assignment. Nothing Lapis would understand. 

On the other side of the room was a wardrobe and a set of drawers. Though it looked like none of the clothes were actually in them, more like scattered on top or beside her bed. She spotted a few flannels and graphic t-shirts that she'd seen Peridot wear before. It made her smile. Peridot's room was unlike the rest of the house. It was horrifically messy with stray wrappers, bottles and clothes strewn randomly around the place and the smell wasn't that pleasant either. 

But nonetheless, it still reminded the blue hared girl of Peridot. Glancing fondly at the sleeping blonde once more, she quietly shut the door and left the house, walking back with a large smile on her face.


	14. Chapter 14

Lapis shut the door behind her as she entered her own house. She sighed happily, content with the fact that it was, in fact, the weekend and she had no homework. This was extremely satisfying to her. 

The first thing she did was go straight to the kitchen to grab some snacks before heading up to her room to feast and watch YouTube until she passed out. This was like a daily routine now. 

Unfortunately, her brilliant plan was stopped by none other than her father. He stepped in front of her, blocking the doorway out of the kitchen. 

"Where have you been?" He sounded worried, his eyes were wide and eyebrows raised. Not just worried. Angry. "I've been trying to call you for the past two hours!" 

Lapis blinked slowly, processing this new information and realising that she had turned her phone off when she arrived at Peridot's house. 

"Oh" Lapis shoved her hands into her pockets, trying to act casual "I was with a friend". 

Her dad sighed and ran both hands down down his face, his mouth turning down into a frown. He snatched the bag of candy from his daughters hands and stepped out of the way. "I'll talk to you later about this" with a long sigh, he stepped fully into the kitchen and began preparing some sort of meal. 

Lapis was about to complain but stopped. She turned around on her heel to head to her room. Slamming the door shut, she went straight to her bed, diving in and instantly tangling herself in her duvet. Getting out her phone, she decided to check her social media. Her phone buzzed halfway through looking at her tumblr. 

Sighing, she opened up her messaging app, knowing full well who it was. 

Amethyst: heeey lapis, how's it going with peridot???

Lapis: she fell asleep

Amethyst: on you? Beside you? I need to know, L

Lapis: woah chill... She was on the other side of the room

Amethyst: laame

Lapis: and then I carried her to her room and left the house 

Amethyst: hot 

Lapis: Shut up

Setting her phone down and deciding to read instead, Lapis sat up into a sitting position and scanned her bookshelf. Picking a particularly large one, she lay back down and opened it. 

\- - -

Lapis woke up to complete darkness. Startled, she sat up. The book she had been reading fell off of her face and she stared down at it with an amused smile on her face.

She looked at the time: 12:36pm on a cold Saturday morning. It looked as it were raining and the pavement was enveloped in a layer of leaves. Or what used to be leaves but were now a strange grey paste-like substance. 

Shaking her head, Lapis got up from her bed and changed into a simple blue tank top and shorts. Still barefoot, she made her way downstairs to see an empty kitchen. 

There was a note on the fridge. Lapis took it. It read: 

Hey sweetie, you mother and I had to go to work. Something came up and we might be gone for a couple of days. 

There's food in the fridge for you and we left you money if you want to order some food

Love you~ 

Lapis set down the note with a long sigh. Of course they'd be out. But they rarely worked on the weekend. She decided to text the group chat she had recently, to Ruby's dismay, added Peridot to. 

After making some cereal, she went back to her room, sitting on her bed cross legged, bowl in the middle, and opened up the messaging app on her phone. She smirked as she scanned through a recent conversation involving Pearl and Amethyst. There were cheesy pickup and lots of caplocks. Typical. 

Lapis: hey guys, I'm free today Soooo...

Amethyst: Hey lap ;) 

Pearl: Yeah, Amethyst and I are free today...

Lapis: how... Do you know ame is free today?

Pearl: She stayed over.

Lapis: then why were you texting last night?? 

Pearl: Never mind that, want to meet up at the park with Steven and his friend? 

Lapis: yesss

Lapis: Brb imma call Peri, she might not be up yet...

Lapis switched to her contacts, picking Peridot and pressing the call button. The first time it went straight to voicemail. It did the same the second try. The third the was more successful, Peridot finally picked up her damn phone. 

"What is it Lapis?" Came groggy voice from the other side of the line. 

"Are you doing anything today?" 

Lapis heard Peridot scoff. 

"What do you think" there was sarcasm dripping from her tone and it only made Lapis chuckle, earning a snort from Peridot. 

"I'm taking that as a no. And if that's the case, meet us at the park at.." Lapis glanced at her clock "2 o'clock on the dot". 

"What happens if I'm late?" Came her reply, sounding more awake than it had minutes ago. Peridot probably made coffee of something. 

"We'll leave you" lapis joked. 

"Okay, well... See ya" 

Peridot hung up on her. Sliding her phone into her shorts pocket, she stood back up with the now empty bowl of cereal in her hands, she placed it in the sink and decided to watch TV while she waited. 

Laying on the couch and turning on the TV brought back memories of Peridots house. It was so much cleaner than hers and her couch was more comfortable. Sighing, Lapis flipped through the channels until she found a show worthy of watching. 

Settling back down on the couch and propping up a cushion for her head, Lapis stared at the TV, her thoughts kept going back to the blonde nerd she had befriended a mere week or so ago. What was this feeling?


	15. Chapter 15

Peridot slipped on her dark green hoodie and sighed. She ran a hand through her hair and checked her phone one last time before walking out the door. Today she was actually going to be sociable. She still couldn't get over that fact. The fact that Lapis lazuli, the popular actress and social butterfly, would want to be friends with her, Peridot, the social outcast. Pushing those thoughts out of her head, she walked down the concrete path that lead to the large park in the middle of beach city. It was strange to have such a green park in the middle of a town called beach city but it was always pretty nonetheless. 

The blonde had decided not to take her car as said park was only a short walk from where she lived. Plus, it was a surprisingly hot day considering it was autumn -almost winter. The sun was shining bright in the clear sky and Peridot soon regretted wearing her dark hoodie. She sighed and leant forward slightly, stepping on a leaf and listening to that satisfying crunching sound. She'd always loved that sound. It was the highlight of Autumn. 

Once arriving at the park, she sat down on one of the benches lining the tiny playground, accompanied by a sandpit and fountain. Peridot took out her phone, scrolling up the chat to confirm times and if anyone had arrived yet. Nope. She was the first one. A wave of anxiety hit and she stood up, suddenly very paranoid. What if this was some sort of joke? What if no one was actually coming and she'd be sitting on this bench for hours. Her heart beat loudly in her chest and she decided to walk around to kill time. And to check if anyone was actually coming...

Looking around, she saw no one. She contemplated calling Lapis but shook her head, instead sitting down under a large tree and checking though her tumblr. More notes on her dumb textposts. Nice. 

Something blue shot out from behind the tree and into Peridots arms, startling the blonde and making her drop her phone into her lap. She looked up to see a head of blue hair and tanned skin. A small smile played at her lips as Lapis pulled back from the surprise hug and grinned at her. 

"I totally scared you" she bragged, shuffling so that she sat cross-legged beside Peridot, who was now trying to hide her blush. 

"I wasn't! You just... Startled me" Peridot bit her lip as she gazed into Lapis' blue eyes. 

Lapis let out a loud snort and ruffled Peridots hair.

"Sure, nerd".

Peridot rolled her eyed and picked up her phone again, happy to see that it wasn't stained, damaged and still had her tumblr dash loaded up. She continued to scroll until she felt something, press against her shoulder, making her cheeks light up again. 

"What'cha looking at?" Lapis asked, stared at the screen with curiosity. 

"Tumblr" Peridot deadpanned. 

Lapis sighed. It wasn't an angry or irritated sigh. Just a regular sigh. The blue haired girl turned to stare at two small children playing on the swings. 

Suddenly she shot up, running out from the shade and up to a group of people walking up the path. Lapis greeted them with high-fives and hugs and began to make her way back towards the tree with them. 

Peridots eyesight wasn't very good, even though she was wearing a new pair of glasses. But, even from there she could make out the red headband that belonged to none other than Ruby and Pearl's strawberry blonde hair. Another wave of anxiety hit her as they finally arrived at her tree. She managed to push it down and stood up with as big a smile as she could do. 

"yo p-dot" Amethyst smirked up at the blonde, looking at her with her knowing brown eyes. 

Behind her was Pearl, wearing a light blue flannel shirt and shorts. Her hair was messier than usual but that was probably because it was the weekend. Probably.

Then there was Ruby and Sapphire, walking together hands intertwined and behind them, Steven and a girl Peridot had never seen before. 

She had black hair and dark skin and brown eyes covered with light red glasses. She was wearing a simple shorts and shirt. Steven was sporting his usual outfit. Not surprising at all. That was when Peridot noticed someone missing from the small group of friends. 

"Where's Garnet?" 

Pearl was the first to answer "she's working" was all she said then dropped the subject. 

"What, now?" Asked Lapis, now standing beside the flustered blonde. 

Amethyst piped up, holding two backpacks in her hands with an ear to ear grin on her face. 

"I brought food, we can just sit here and talk" Amethyst glanced over to Peridot then up to the tree they were standing over "you picked a nice tree, 'dot". 

Peridot was about to scold her but looked up instead. Amethyst was right, it was a nice tree. It was massive with most of its leaves still holding onto the branches. Some golden coloured leaves were scattered around the base, making good seats to avoid sitting on the damp grass. Yup, it was damp alright. Peridot had already made the mistake of sitting before checking. 

Everyone sat down in a circle whilst Amethyst took out her loot. Lapis sat to Peridot's left and on her right was Steven. Next to him was Connie and then Pearl, Amethyst and finally, Ruby and Sapphire. 

"Anyone up for truth or dare?" By now Amethyst has passed around a couple bags or doritos and some cans of sprite. 

The group nodded but Peridot's heart dropped. Truth or dare with people she hardly knew??? This was going to end really badly, she could already tell...


	16. Chapter 16

Lapis grinned as she saw Peridot's face drop at the sound of the game. The others didn't look too pleased either, playing a kind of private game in public probably wasn't the best idea. Well, the game sure was private if you made the mistake of playing with Amethyst. There was sure to be secrets told, promises broken and lots of making out. But Lapis was used to it by now, she'd known Amethyst long enough to know where this was going. Someone was going to get hurt and it was probably going to be the new kid. 

Amethyst grinned her evil grin, opening up a bag of doritos and placing three into her mouth. Everyone waited for her to say something, as it was a rule that she always went first. Her dark eyes scanned to small group, stopping on Lapis. She stopped chewing her food, swallowed then washed it down with a sip of fizzy drink before opening her mouth to speak. 

"Lapis" Amethyst said slowly, watching as the blue haired girl audibly gulped. "Truth or dare?" 

Lapis was not ready for this at all. Saying truth was sure to land her in an awkward situation and saying dare was possibly even worse. She glanced around and stopped on Peridot. Blinking, she took a deep breath. "Truth" it came out a lot quieter than she had expected but Amethyst seemed to hear it just fine. 

"Why and how did you manage to befriend Peridot? Like, you've known of her existence for years but didn't say anything until now" Amethyst gaze went from a grumpy looking Peridot then back to Lapis, her eyebrow raised and cheeky smirk on her face. 

Lapis shrugged, feeling her cheeks heat up slightly. Did she really have a reason other than her ever growing curiosity? Next to her, Peridot nudged her, willing the bluenette to go on. 

"Well" Lapis tried to stall for time. This was awkward and if she said too much, Amethyst was sure to spread rumours. "I dunno I just saw her always sitting in class looking bored and kinda sad so one day I decided to talk to her" she shrugged once again, a small grin pulling her lips upwards "and look at us now". With one arm wrapped around the blondes shoulders, Lapis pulled Peridot closer to her "friendship at its finest". 

Peridot made a little noise that was halfway between a whine and a snort as she pushed away from Lapis' hold and settled back down in her spot, pulling her knees up to her chest. Amethyst was snickering at the fact that both of their faces had a slight red hue to them but other than that, the group was quiet. Just watching. It was unsettling. 

Amethyst cleared her throat, making Peridot lift up her head from her knees and gained the others attention. Everyone's gaze was on Lapis. It was her turn now. Who would she pick? She had an idea.

"Amethyst" Lapis said slowly, a smirk growing on her face "truth or dare?" 

A challenging grin was on the tan girls face as she brushed her thick brown bangs out of her eyes. "Dare".

"I dare you to tell Pearl how you feel" Lapis watched as Amethysts once confident look faltered. 

"No fair-"

"You have to answer, its in the rules" Lapis cut her off. 

Amethyst opened her mouth to say something but stopped herself. Beside her, Pearl was looking as curious as ever, her pale cheeks now a rosy colour. Oh, this was going to be good. 

"Pearl" the shorter girl shifted herself so she sat facing this other. She looked out of her element; nervous and sweaty and just not like the Amethyst everyone knew and loved at all. This was a new side of her. "I...I really like you".

A warm smile painted the pale girls face at her words "I know, I like you too". 

"No" Amethyst honestly looked heartbroken. But Pearl was not that dense. "I mean I like like you". 

Pearl laughed, a faint, soft laugh. "I know" she repeated,pulling Amethyst closer so she sat on the thinner girls lap. 

The broke the distance with a passionate kiss, causing several members of the group to wolf-whistle at them. Lapis grinned and rubbed her hands together. She didn't think this would happen. At all. But it was sweet nonetheless. 

"Damn" Peridot whispered. She was just staring at the two, her cheeks now an even deeper red than before. Lapis giggled, causing her green gaze to snap back to her. 

A poke from Steven caused the two to break apart, panting slightly as they stared at each other. 

"D..does this mean we're a thing now?" Amethyst asked, her voice uncharacteristically quiet. 

Pearl nodded, pulling her into another kiss, this time not as deep. As they pulled away, the realised they were still in public. Both of their faces flushed red. 

Amethyst ran a hand down her face and sighed before looking around the group once again,the same smirk on her face as before. "Steven, truth or dare?" 

The young boys eyes lit up when he heard his name. Then he hesitated, weighing down his options. He was only fourteen but already knew Amethyst well enough to be cautious with his decisions. 

"Dare" he was certainly taking a risk but he was known for that kind of stuff. He saved Connie from certain death. That was how they met. Risky yet romantic at the same time. 

"I dare you to eat that sand" she pointed towards a small sandpit near the playground. 

A single child was sitting in it, building a fort out of the clumpy sand, her parents sat nearby, talking animatedly to each other and occasionally glancing over to their kid. Gulping, Steven stood up and walked over to the pit, greeting the child with a smile before picking up a handful of the sand. He returned with it and sat back down. 

The sand itself was a dirty yellow colour, unlike sand you'd find at the beach. A twig stuck out of the top and there were clumps of it everywhere. 

"Isn't this a little harsh?" Pearl murmured, eyeing the sand "this doesn't seem safe". 

"Aww come on P, its totally safe" Amethyst reassured. 

Steven blinked up at the two before raising his hands up to his mouth and pouring most of the sand into it. He chewed, gagged a bit then swallowed. His face instantly grew pale. 

"I need water!" 

Sapphire handed him a water bottle from her bag and he downed it in one, gasping for air and clutching his throat. 

"So..dry" he croaked, gagging once again. 

Pearl, worried for the boys health, stood up and clapped her hands together. 

"Okay that's enough truth or dare for today, let's go" she pulled a groaning Amethyst up and stormed off.


	17. Chapter 17

Peridot blinked, watching the two figures vanish through the park gate and down the street. It had ended so abruptly she wasn't entirely sure what to do. She was pretty sure Amethyst had made people do worse but Steven looked pretty ill. Then again, he did just eat playground sand. The boy himself was currently sitting next to Connie, holding a bottle of water in each hand and trying to get the stray grains of sand from his mouth. Peridot had made the mistake of putting beach sand in her mouth before when she was younger and knew of the consequences. 

Steven opened one of the bottles before taking a big sip and spitting it out onto the colourful leaves; an effective way of getting rid of that unwanted sand that sticks in your throat. Connie was sitting cross legged in front of the boy, trying to instruct him on what to do. Beside Peridot was Lapis, who had been suspiciously quiet ever since she was dared to talk about her. The blue haired girl's cheeks had a red hue to them, making Peridot's heart flutter in hopes of her returning her feelings. 

Suddenly, her head snapped up, eyes on Steven. She crawled closer, offering to take the now empty bottle of water from him. She brought her knees up to her chest and grinned a lopsided grin. 

"How'd it taste?" She asked, a mischievous hint in her tone. 

Steven coughed loudly, swallowed then retuned the smile. "It tasted a bit like dirt and feet and I'm actually quite concerned" he glanced over to three kids now sitting in the sandpit, throwing sand over each other. Steven visibly cringed. 

Lapis laughed and pulled Steven into a quick hug. Peridot's gut twisted uncomfortably but she decided to ignore it. They were good friends. Friends. 

Pulling away and wiping his mouth, he grabbed Connie's hand and pulled her up alongside him. She let out a startled yelp and stumbled but Steven held her up with strong arms.

"Well, that was uh...fun?" He shrugged, laughing at the memories. "But we have to go find Pearl and Amethyst, they have the car". 

Lapis nodded and waved the two off. Now it was just the swimmer and the nerd as Ruby and sapphire left a little after Pearl and Ame, checking steven was okay before going into the secluded woods to makeout or something. Or maybe it was another route to their house? Nobody really wanted to find out. 

Both females stood there in silence for what felt like hours. Peridot ran a hand through her choppy hair, trying to control her breathing as Lapis' arm pressed against her own. The smaller girl let out a chocked wheeze, trying to cover it up as a cough. Lapis turned her head to stare at her, once again brushing the other girls arm as she moved closer. 

"W...what now?" Peridot's asked, trying not to sound too flustered. It probably wasn't the first time they'd been alone together but today felt...different. 

"Hmm" Lapis put a finger to her lips in thought. 

"We could just... Y'know, walk and talk?" 

Peridot nodded. It sounded better than heading back to her place to binge cartoons and play video games. Though that did sound pretty nice. She shook the thought out of her head and followed Lapis down the winding gravel path that led into a small wooded area. The one that Ruby and Sapphire had disappeared into. They were most likely gone now. Probably. Hopefully. 

"So what your favourite video game?" Lapis broke the silence. 

Perking up, Peridot startled rambling on about games, listing her favourite then describing them in detail. Her enthusiasm made the blue haired girl giggle. Once the nerd noticed, she stopped, her cheeks red.

"S-sorry" she chuckled and threw her an awkward smile "uh.. You like to swim?"

The question was so random and unexpected, it threw Lapis back a little. 

"Yeah, I'm on the swim team and a local at the pool" Lapis grinned "you?" 

Peridot laughed as if Lapis had told a really funny joke. 

"Me? No way" she wiped away a tear rolling down he cheek "I can't get my leg wet, remember?"

Lapis blinked, a little hurt at Peridot's reaction to her question. "Can't you just..take it off?"

Peridot shook her head "tried that, almost drowned". 

"I can help you, you know" lapis mumbled. 

Peridot glanced up at the taller girl, her lips pulled into another one of her famous awkward smiles "thanks but no thanks, not going through that again". 

"Oh" lapis frowned, her head racing for more questions to ask. 

"Do you have any other hobbies? Like, except from video games and cartoons?" 

Peridot nodded "I like to build robots" she said in almost a whisper, as if it was something embarrassing. It wasn't. It was awesome. 

"Really? Can I see?" 

"Sure, I guess" 

By now they had left the woods and were walking on familiar concrete paths. Peridot's hand intertwined with Lapis' and the blonde turned them both around. She guided the taller down the long path, left then into her house. 

The familiar yellow wallpaper made Peridot feel more safe and secluded. Even though she hated the colour. Who uses pastel yellow for a living room? Her mother apparently. The blonde went to the kitchen, grabbed some snacks then went up to her room with Lapis following behind. 

Once inside, Peridot shut the door, threw Lapis a bag of popcorn, toffee of course, and flopped onto her bed with a tired sigh. Lapis opened her bag and sat on the carpeted floor, quietly eating the food. 

Suddenly, she stood up, popcorn spilling on the floor as she ran towards the nerds desk. She dropped the bag and picked up something round and soft. 

"This is so cute!!" She held up a small plush toy. It was light grey with a hint of green: a ball with four stick like legs attached onto the bottom with thick black fabric. 

Peridot's eyes widened and her face grew red. "My mother had it made for me when I was four. I've had it ever since" she wanted to shrug it off but Lapis was fangirling. 

"What is it?" 

"Its a robonoid" 

Lapis snorted.


	18. Chapter 18

Lapis grinned as she saw Peridot's face turn even redder. She wasn't sure whether it was from embarrassment or anger but either way it was super cute. The way she pointed slightly, her eyes narrowed into thin slits. 

"You're so cute" Lapis was trying not to have a fangirl moment but it was very hard when an adorably angry cinnamon roll was standing in front of you. 

"M'not cute" Peridot, who had sat back down on her bed and pulled her hood up to cover her face, grumbled, crossing her arms and slouching forward. 

Lapis chuckled to herself, watching Peridot curl up even smaller, her spiky blonde hair peeking from her hood. 

"So" the bluenette clapped her hands together, making the smaller jump from inside her green cocoon. "Where are the robots?"

By now Lapis had set the 'robonoid' back on her desk and was looking around for any sign of robot stuff. So far...nothing. Was peridot lying? 

Peridot unraveled herself and sat up, trying to flatten down her hair the best she could, causing Lapis to snort once again. Standing up, she made her way over to her desk, crouching down to open a small drawer located at the side Lapis hadn't even noticed. She pulled out a couple of sheets of paper and a box. Opening the box, she set the lid down and ran her thumb over the round robot. 

It was exactly like plush except less.... Plush. It was a green-grey colour with the legs being separate from the body. Peridot carefully picked it up and set it on the floor. Pressing couple of buttons located at the bottom, it sprung to life. It lifted itself up into the air, its legs then floating underneath. The blonde tested the controls on a separate remote, moving the robonoid back and forth and finally to Lapis. 

"That's amazing!" She sat herself next to Peridot and giggled as it tried to climb up her leg. 

"Thanks" came the happy reply from Peridot. "I've never actually shown anyone this before..".

Lapis grabbed the blondes face and pulled her forward, making her blush. 

"What?" Lapis was confused. This was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen. Why didn't Peridot want to share this with the world? "Why" 

"Because I've never really had any friends" the blonde hesitated, moving her face so Lapis wasn't holding it before continuing "and everyone would just call me a nerd or whatever, its not like anyone actually cares". 

Lapis' eyes widened and her smile dropped into a surprised frown. "I care" she whispered. 

Peridot sighed "honestly, I thought all this was because you pitied me" she gestured towards the bluenette "because you're so popular and wouldn't be seen dead with a nerd like me". 

"Peridot, its not like that".

"You sound exactly like Jasper" Peridot mumbled, suddenly feeling a lot worse about the choices she had made. 

"What?" Lapis was surprised. She knew Peridot and Jasper used to be...friends? But what actually happened? 

"Y'know what?" Peridot dropped the robot back into its box before abruptly standing up "c-can you leave now?"

Sensing Peridot's emotional distress, Lapis followed her lead and stood up, slightly unsure on what to do. Does she leave? Or stay and calm Peridot down? Why does she look angry? 

"I said leave!" The blondes voice shook as she yelled. 

Lapis nodded and left the house without another word, wincing when Peridot slammed the door a little too loudly. Sighing, she went back to her house. Of course, no one was home, that, she was thankful for. 

Now she had time to think. She wasn't entirely sure what had just happened but Peridot was definitely not okay. What had Jasper done? She was her bully now....so what was it like when they were friends? So many questions but zero answers. She was too scared to text Peridot... What if she deleted her number? What if they weren't friends anymore? That made Lapis' heart ache. 

Moving into a laying position on her bed, she decided to sleep over it and see what would happen in the morning. She had walked painfully slow back to her house so it was getting pretty late. Lapis closed her eyes. 

\- - -

A familiar tune woke Lapis up. Her eyes shot open and she groaned as she realised she hadn't set her phone on silent. With a click of a button, her phone came back to life. Squinting at the sudden light, Lapis checked the time. Its was around 3am, which was possibly the worst time to wake her up. She was tired and grumpy and her eyes hurt from how bright her screen was. That was when she noticed she had gotten a text. Her heart sped up as she opened up her messaging app, only to find it was not who was hoping it would be. 

Amethyst: Heeey L

Amethyst: Why aren't you picking up? You making out with Peri or something? 

Amethyst: WAKE UP

Lapis: what? 

Lapis groaned once again, setting her phone down and burying her face in her pillow to rest her tired eyes before her phone rang again. 

Amethyst: nothing I'm just really bored :) 

Lapis: go. To. Sleep. 

Amethyst: nooo I wanna know what happened when we left ;)

Lapis: everyone just left and I went round Peridot's house to look at her robots 

Amethyst: "robots" ;))

Lapis: shut up

Lapis: then she had like, this mental breakdown??? And I left

Amethyst: is she okay???

Lapis: I think so? Idk if we're friends anymore :/

Amethyst: talk to her

Lapis: no thanks 

Amethyst: you scared?

Lapis: maybe

Amethyst: She's like, half your size 

Lapis: whatever, I'll speak to her tomorrow if it makes you feel better

Amethyst: Okay

Amethyst: and I'll go to sleep if it makes YOU feel better

Lapis: thank you

Lapis set her phone back on her bedside table, making sure to turn it onto silent before settling back down on her bed. A buzz. Angry, Lapis shot up and grabbed her phone. It was another text. But not from Amethyst. It was from Peridot...

Peridot: I'm sorry.

Peridot: I'm just scared that you'll leave me like Jasper did...

Lapis: I wont

Peridot: promise? 

Lapis: I promise <3


	19. Chapter 19

Peridot knew she had overreacted but the thought of Lapis, the only person she could really call a true friend, abandoning her had made her lash out. It wasn't her fault, it was how she was raised. Her mother never really treated her like a daughter. More like a random person who just so happened to live in the same house as her. In a way, Peridot had been fine with it, just doing her own thing until Jasper came. For a while she had acted like a good friend. And then she started making Peridot do things she'd definitely regret in the future. Thinking back on it, she regretted everything. But that was a whole other story. 

Blinking, Peridot glanced at the alarm clock on her bedside table. Half an hour until she was scheduled to get up for school. It was early Monday morning, the blonde had spent most Sunday in her room procrastinating about stuff. The usual: homework, studying...talking to Lapis. She had apologised for her outburst but hadn't replied to any other texts. Lapis was probably worried. Probably. 

Trying to close her eyes and fall back asleep seemed to not be working so, after a couple minutes of trying and failing, the blonde rubbed her eyes and got up. After doing her usual daily routine of brushing teeth and changing, she found herself on her couch watching cartoon reruns with a large bowl of cereal in her hands. Her phone let out a familiar buzz from her pocket but she ignored it, instead shoveling another spoonful of cheerios into her mouth. Another buzz. Again, ignored. Peridot knew who it was but didn't bother answering. She could talk to her at school. 

Checking the time, she realised that, for once in her school career, she was going to be late. Those damn cartoons were very distracting. 

Rushing out of the house and into her car, she quickly pulled out of her driveway and off towards the school. If the traffic was good and she ran to class, she should be able to make it. Wait, what did she have first? German. She hated German, she couldn't speak any language other than English. But everyone was forced to take a language for their last year of school and German seemed like the best option out of the list as she could kind of understand it. Kind of. Plus, she sat next to Garnet who was good at literally everything so she did have the upper hand here.

Finally arriving at school, she sighed happily as she spotted several students still wandering around outside the car park. Peridot stepped out and ran into the main building, searching for the room number for her classroom and finding half the class waiting outside for the bell. She wasn't late.

"Peridot!" A familiar voice came from behind her and before the blonde could turn around, tanned arms wrapped around her torso. 

Confused, Peridot gripped onto the arms and tried to prise them off, letting out a startled yelp that made some of her fellow students turn their heads towards the pair, as Lapis pulled her closer. The bluenette buried her face into the smaller girls hair, letting out a shaky breath. 

"Lapis what the heck?" Peridot wanted to scream at her for making her blush but she looked and sounded upset. 

"I.. You weren't replying to my texts, I got worried" she finally let go, turning the blonde so she was staring into her ocean blue eyes. 

"Sorry" came the mumbled reply. 

"Its fine" Lapis smiled. "But seriously I was trying to contact you all day yesterday, what were you doing?" 

Peridot shrugged. She wasn't really doing anything. Just laying in her bed, awaiting death. You know, the usual. 

"What does that mean?"

Another shrug answered the taller girls question before the bell rang and the teacher miraculously appeared from thin air. 

"Oh, and Peridot?" Lapis grabbed the collar of her flannel shirt, pulling her out of the door and back into the corridor. 

Peridot hummed. 

"Rehearsals start after school today, you should come and help me learn my lines" with a flirty wink, Lapis gently pushed past Peridot and walked into the classroom. 

"Okay" Peridot whispered even though Lapis had already gone. 

Peridot walked into the classroom and took her seat next to Garnet, prepared to copy answers from the stoic girl for the rest of the lesson. 

\- - -

At break time, Peridot had to make the terrifying journey towards her locker, hoping that Jasper wouldn't be around the punch her face in again. 

Luckily she wasn't and with a sigh of relief, she walked over to the meeting place where Lapis' small group of friend always hung out. 

The blue haired girl herself was currently downing a can of energy drink whilst Amethyst timed it on her phone. 

"Fifty seconds" she cheered, high-fiving Lapis. 

Even though she'd never admit it, Peridot was very impressed. She also knew that Lapis would most likely be jumping off the walls for the rest of the day. 

"Ten bucks says I can kick this can into the bin from here" giggling, Lapis set the tall can down and pointed to the bin a little away from the main building. 

With a hearty laugh, Amethyst put one hand on her hip, the other out towards Lapis "deal. And another ten bucks says you can't". 

"Ok" Lapis chuckled and shook Amethysts hand. 

By now Peridot had made to the corner and was watching intently as Lapis tried to line up the can with the bin. It was pretty windy out so there was a chance she'd get it in even though it wasn't very high. 

With a swift kick, the can flew into the air. And into the bin. The entire group, who had been watching along with Peridot started cheering and laughing, pulling Lapis into hugs and high-fiving her. 

"How!?" Amethyst looked upset to say the least. Groaning, she took out her phone, took off the case and handed over the money to Lapis. 

Lapis waved it in the air, letting out a victory screech before sliding it into her pocket and walking away as if it never happened.


	20. Chapter 20

Lapis glanced over at the clock, sitting up on the back wall of the classroom, then back to her desk and finally, up to the teacher standing beside the whiteboard, writing down notes that the class was supposed to copy down. But instead of doing that, Lapis had 'borrowed' a piece of paper from the pile that sat at the front and was now doodling random pictures of characters she'd made up. Scribbling a circle to start off the head, she got to work on the nose, eyes and finally, face shape before giving the guy deer antlers and ears. A small smile grew on her face. 

Her quiet moment of happiness was ruined by someone nudging her. She turned around to see Sapphire staring at her from under thick blue bangs, an eyebrow raised. Lapis mouthed a quick 'what?' and the other girl chuckled and pointed to a tiny sketch at the bottom of the paper. She followed her finger and blushed as she noticed she had accidentally drawn her and Peridot...holding hands?? 

"Shut up sapphire" Lapis elbowed her and she stopped laughing, turning back to her book and writing down notes for the latest project. 

Lapis decided to do that same as this supposed project would be something we enjoyed. The task was to storyboard and make a short animation about something and that, Lapis could do. The blue haired girl had already planned half of it a week prior because the teacher had accidentally said too much. 

"OK class, pile up your books on the front table an tidy up your sheets" the teacher clapped her hands together as she stood up from her chair. 

The class mumbled and stood up, passing their books forward and packing up their things. Lapis grabbed her script, that had been sitting on the table beside her for the entire lesson and started shuffling with excitement. Today was the first day of rehearsals, which was normally just script reading so the techies never came. But Peridot had agreed to help and that was the best feeling ever. She was usually so stubborn and never agreed with half of Lapis' plans. 

"See ya later Sapphire, bye!" The bell rang and everyone left the room, Lapis running to the front and leading the small crowd. 

She managed to make it to the auditorium in one piece and upon arriving spotted several cast members already there, wandering around with a script in hands. There was a teacher at the side, not doing anything but standing and watching the students rehearse. Lapis waited on a bench beside the door for Peridot to arrive. 

The blonde opened the door with one hand, the other pressed firmly against the side of her head. From what the bluenette could see, it was another encounter with Jasper and she did not look like she was in a good mood. Peridot didn't say anything though, she spotted Lapis and sat down beside her, trying not to groan in pain. 

"Are you ok?" 

Peridot nodded, still not talking.

"You can go home if you want" 

Peridot shook her head, releasing her hand from the tight grip on her face to reveal a thick purple ring around her eye and blood stains from her nose. 

"M'fine" Peridot's speech was slightly slurred and she sounded as if she had a blocked nose. 

"Is your nose broken?" 

She shook her head, no.

"How can you be sure?" 

Peridot shrugged. 

Standing up and grabbing Peridot's arm, Lapis said "I'm taking you to Rose".

Peridot didn't react, she just stared off into space, her head propped in her hand, arm resting on her knee. Lapis gave her arm another tug and she reeled back angrily. 

"I'm fine, leave me alone" she hissed, finally looking up at Lapis through her lenses, which were surprisingly not cracked. 

Lapis was unsure. She looked hurt and her nose might be broken but she seemed fine. Just a bit angrier than normal. She could deal with that. Lapis handed Peridot a spare script and gave her the part of the love interest of her character, hoping she couldn't catch onto what she was doing. But Peridot was sore and light headed and every word she spoke came out a slur. She was tired and hungry but wanted to spend time with Lapis. Lapis instructed Peridot where to read and gave her a little description of the scene before started with her opening lines. Peridot responded back confidently, not messing up any lines even with her slurred speech. 

For some reason,that surprised Lapis. She knew Peridot couldn't act to save her life but she was so good at voicing the character, putting so much emotion into her lines. They carried on back and forth until the scene came to an end. 

"That was amazing. You're amazing!" A wide grin spread across lapis' face. 

Peridot shrugged again, her cheek growing red from the compliment. "Thanks?" She seemed unsure of what to say. 

"Ever though of becoming an actor?" 

Peridot scoffed, raising an eyebrow at Lapis' question. 

"Voice actor?" 

Another shrug. Was that a yes? Maybe? It was definitely not a no so it was something. 

After that was silence. The two were staring at each other, lapis from behind her script and Peridot just zoning out. It took them a while to realise everyone had left and even longer to muster up the courage to talk to each other. Both stood up, gave the other a quick glance and walked off in different directions: Peridot to the car park and Lapis to the front of the school. 

Checking the time on her phone, she noticed she that had time to kill before the bus arrived. Supposing that it was on time at least. Breaking out her earphones and turning on her music sounded like the most sensible idea as the music tended to drown people out. Any unwanted person would be ignored from now on. But she guessed that didn't really apply today because she was alone at the bus stop. 

Scrolling down her playlists, she selected one and hit shuffle.


	21. Chapter 21

Peridot blinked tiredly, wrapping her hand around the door handle. Sliding her key into the door and turning it, she finally stepped inside. She ran a hand through her hair and dropped her bags on the carpeted floor, not caring if the contents spilled out of the slightly opened backpack. Peridot was too tired and her leg had started to ache once again. 

"Phantom pain" she grunted, rubbing her thigh as she thudded up the stairs, opening the door with her foot and sitting at the foot of her bed. 

She took off the prosthetic, rubbing the charred flesh that made up her leg. The pain eventually subsided but didn't leave. Standing up once again, she set the prosthetic down carefully on the floor beside her bed and picked her way towards the bathroom. She searched through multiple drawers placed around the room and finally found the right painkillers. Dropping two into her palm and grabbing a glass of water, she took the pills and went back to her room. 

Sighing, she lay back on her bed and waited for the painkillers to kick in, getting out her phone and checking over her social medias. She stopped on tumblr, scrolling through her notifications and then her feed. It was a good way to spend the night, no homework, no stress. Her mother was out as usual so she was home alone. Lapis had gone home telling her that she was busy so there was no use texting her. 

Back at school she had gone to Rose when the small drama group departed and everything seemed to be okay. Just a couple of bruises and her nose had moved to the side when Jasper had right hooked her but was soon put back into place. Peridot shuddered at the memory. She'd definitely have to avoid Jasper the best she could. She'd been bullying her for as long as she could remember, Peridot was starting to think that the fact that they used to he friends was just her dumb imagination. But it wasn't. The truth was a lot worse than that. 

Deciding not to eat, she wasn't hungry anyways, Peridot slipped into her bed, pulling the covers over her head to block out any light. Soon enough, she had drifted off. 

\- - - 

"Jasper, wait!" The small blonde nine-year-old rushed after the taller girl, reaching out a tiny hand to rest on her shoulder. 

Jasper spun around, nostrils flaring, a sharp toothed grin flashed on her face. She pushed the smaller off, making her trip and fall. 

"What?" 

Jasper was popular. Probably the most popular girl in her school let alone class and the scariest too. But pushing all that aside, the two had been very close friends since they started the school. Helping each other with homework and other small problems and repaying the other with food and candy. It was a good system, one Peridot had hoped would last until they both graduated from highschool. But, of course, it was too good to be true. As Jasper was so popular, she would usually keep the tiny nerd from getting bullied, scaring them off with her intimidating size and strength. Peridot was very small for her age and Jasper was her complete opposite. She acted like a bodyguard in a way and it made the blonde feel much more secure knowing at least one person would protect her. 

But, like she said before: it was too good to be true. Just like that, Jasper has started slacking and leaving Peridot behind to talk to other popular kids and soon enough, she had just zoned Peridot out all together. Then came the bullying and the rumours. Rumours about her family that hurt Peridot so much but she couldn't do anything about it. Her mother was never around, too caught up in work to care about her daughter. And her father- no. That didn't matter, it just made her feel worse. 

After a year of 'silent treatment' and many, many horrible rumours, Jasper finally snapped. One day, after an especially cold day of school, Jasper cornered Peridot, the same grin on her face as the one she wore when she first pushed Peridot down. Except this time, her large hand wrapped around peridot's arm. She started walking and reluctantly, Peridot followed. She didn't know what was happening. 

"Where are you taking me?" 

Jasper didn't reply, only grunted as she pushed a door open, pulling the blonde into a dark hallway she didn't recognise. Once Jasper turned a corner, she stopped, letting go of Peridot's wrist to stare her straight in the eyes. 

'"Jasper?" 

"You ruined my life!" 

"What? I don't-" 

Peridot was cut short by a fist connecting with her face. She was thrown back and hit a line of lockers. Her hand automatically shot to her face, checking for any blood. None, just a nasty purple bruise. Tears started bubbling up in her eyes and she wiped a few away with her other hand. 

"I can't believe I ever agreed to be your friend" Jasper scoffed, standing over Peridot, placing a foot on her chest like they did in the movies where the hero finally beats the bad guy. 

"Jasper please"

The taller pushed down slightly, sending Peridot into a coughing fit. A trickle of blood trailed from her lips, making Jasper smirk. 

Peridot grabbed Jaspers foot, mustering enough strength to push her off and stand up. Her chest ached and breathing seemed to be slightly difficult but she sat up. Taking this as a challenge, Jasper threw a punch at her again, this one colliding her with head, sending her backwards into another wall. She hit the floor hard, her vision fading. 

"Jasper" 

"Don't ever talk to me again, runt" 

Peridot heard footsteps walking away but this time she didn't get up. She lay on the floor, a small pool of blood next to her, slowly becoming more and more sleepy. 

Just as she finally slipped into unconsciousness, she heard a voice. Someone yelped and footsteps running up to her, lifting her up into warm arms.

She woke up later that day, on a hospital bed. Three nurses, a police officer and her English teacher sat in the room, all looking up when Peridot began to stir. They had questioned her and she had said all she could remember. Then they had talked to Jasper, who somehow managed to lie her way out of any serious trouble. She didn't even get expelled, just told to stay away from Peridot. Which she didn't. 

The bullying and insults got even worse after her...accident. She was bound to a wheelchair for months on end. Until she got her prosthetic that her mother had to pay for. 

In conclusion: Peridot's life had gone from bad to worse that day and it still haunted her. 

\- - - 

Peridot jolted up, sweat trailing down her forehead and cheeks wet with fresh tears.


	22. Chapter 22

Lapis woke up to her phone buzzing next to her ear. Lifting up her head, she glanced at her ocean themed alarm clock. With a groan she picked up her phone, shifting into a sitting position and opening up her texts. Peridot?

Peridot: Lapis are you awake?

Lapis: I am now... 

Peridot: Sorry.

For some reason Peridot seemed a bit...off? No sarcastic comebacks of anything. Though she still had her perfect grammar, something that surprised Lapis slightly. Slightly. It was very like Peridot after all. 

Lapis: its fine 

Lapis: so, what's up? 

Peridot: Had a bad dream/flashback thing and I feel awful.

Lapis: and what do you want me to do about it?

Peridot: Come over?

Lapis: it's 3am on a school night.

Peridot: So? You can stay over. 

Lapis hesitated, weighing down her options. Going round Peridot's did sound really nice, her parents were never home so waking up from a bad dream must've been awful. Plus, she'd have to comfort the blonde...which means hugs and kisses- wait! No! No! 

Lapis: you sure? 

Peridot: Yeah its fine

Lapis: and you're fine? 

Peridot: Not...really??

Lapis: what's that supposed to mean? 

Peridot: Just come over, I know you want too ;) 

Lapis: fine.

She had accepted. Only because Peri needed her help. And she wasn't really that tired anyways.. Wait..Peri? 

Jumping out of her bed, she decided to change into more suitable clothes, packing any essentials she needed for school in her bag before leaving the house. Her parents still weren't home, Lapis was very thankful for this. Finally, she began her walk to Peridot's house, kicking leaves and stones on her way there. Lapis was pretty sure winter was coming soon, which meant snow. Which meant snowball fights and snowman making competitions with Steven and Connie. 

Upon arriving at Peridot's house, she tapped on the door, not wanting to wake up the neighbours. Two more attempts later, the door opened a crack and familiar tired green eyes stared at the blue haired girl for a second. Then, the door shut, a few metallic noises could be heard from inside before the door fully opened, revealing Peridot wearing nothing but long pyjama bottoms and an over sized shirt with diamond patterns on it. Her blonde hair was...well, everywhere. It was adorable to say the least. 

Then Lapis looked down into her eyes. They were red, like she had been constantly rubbing them and her cheeks were wet with tears. She looked a lot smaller than she already was, cowering by the door. She shivered and stepped to the side to let Lapis in. Lapis stepped inside and was hit by the familiar warmth and the faint scent of mountain dew. Typical. 

"Are you you okay?" Lapis repeated, staring into Peridot's eyes once she shut the door and locked it. 

Peridot's set the keys back in the pot on a shelf beside the door and motioned Lapis to follow her to her room. Lapis nodded, following behind the tiny blonde. Once inside, Peridot sat back in her bed, wrapping the blankets around her shoulders and curling up. More tears streamed from her emerald green eyes, making Lapis' heart ache. By she couldn't do anything. She didn't know how to comfort her. Especially when she felt like...this. 

"Can you tell me what's wrong?" Lapis mumbled trying to keep her tone as soft as she could as she sat down on the end of Peridot's bed. 

Peridot sniffled, wiping her eyes with a blankets. "Had a bad flashback dream...thing. I already told you this" she sounded impatient. But also scared.

"What was it about?" 

"Jasper"

Of course it was, Lapis shouldn't have thought otherwise. As far as she knew Jasper had ruined Peridot's life. She didn't know when or how but maybe she'd find out tonight? 

"What happened?" Another question. Lapis tried not to sound condescending or demanding but she was getting tired and it was 3am and she felt weird around Peridot.

Peridot only shook her head, burying her head and letting out muffled breathless sobs. Whatever it was it had definitely shaken the smaller girl up. 

Lapis' brain wasn't working anymore. She leant forward, carefully pulling the blankets from Peridot's grip. Grabbing her shoulders, she pulled the blonde up and wrapped her arms round her waist. Peridot didn't complain, changing her position to lean into Lapis' shoulder and close her eyes. She seemed to calm down, the sobs stopped and her breathing leveled. 

"Jasper hurt me" she mumbled, her voice muffled by Lapis' hoodie sleeve. 

"How?"

"She punched me hard. And threw me against the walls" Peridot's voice shook once again as she spoke. 

Lapis' heart broke. Shattered into a million pieces. Her grip tightened around the fragile girl, burying her face into her poofy blonde hair in the hopes of comforting her. 

"I was nine years old when it started". 

More sobs. By now tears had started to form on the blue haired girls eyes. Sure, she'd definitely had bullying problems before but not this bad. It was more spreading rumours and insults, nothing physical. 

And then Jasper came along, pulling her 'nice girl' act. Lapis had trusted her and in return she had gotten pulled into Jaspers gang of thugs who were set to ruin the school. She had almost gotten expelled for setting fireworks off in the canteen. That was when she knew she was hanging with the wrong crowd and changed her ways around. For a while, she genuinely believed Jasper was a nice person. Oh boy was she wrong. 

One of her victims was in her arms, sobbing softly into her sleeve, which was starting to become damp but Lapis didn't care. She'd seen a new side to Peridot, one she'd never hoped to see. Helpless. Tiny. Scared. Not the stoic girl who showed no emotions she had first met. 

Lapis was cut off from her thoughts when she realised the crying had stopped. Instead, steady breaths came from Peridot. She had fallen asleep. In Lapis' arms. If this wasn't cliche, she didn't know what was. She knew what happened next and just accepted it as she pulled the covers over both of their legs and fell asleep in each others arms.


	23. Chapter 23

Peridot groaned, raising her arm in an attempt to block out the trail of sunlight coming from her window. It didn't work. At all. Instead, she tried to recollect her memories of last night. She remembered waking up and crying. And hugging. It made her feel safer. Warm. Happy, even. Peridot turned her head, trying to get comfortable by was stopped when someone gripping onto her pillow, pulling it from under her head. 

With a small grunt, Peridot's sat up and glared at the figure laying beside her. Tan limbs tumbled from her shoulders onto the bed and, as the blonde tried to stand up to draw the curtain, wrapped around her waist, pulling her into a hug. 

"Lapis? Peridot's wasn't as surprised as she sounded. 

In response, Lapis hummed, burying her face into Peridot's chest and gripping onto her tighter. 

"Lapis".

Again, nothing. Half frustrated half tired, Peridot gave up. Not waking up Lapis and potentially missing school wasn't the end of the world. Plus, she could snuggle with her best friend and crush. Yup, Peridot had long since figured out her feelings towards the blue haired girl and had just accepted it. They were friends and probably wouldn't be anything more but it was nice to think that maybe now, she had a chance. 

Sighing happily, she huddled under the layers of blankets, wrapping her arms around Lapis' neck and taking in her scent. Her hair always smelt like chlorine, it made Peridot feel warm inside. 

Lapis began to stir, turning around to face Peridot, her eyes half lidded, like she was still half asleep.

"Hi" she mumbled, her voice a whisper. 

Peridot opens her mouth to reply but before she could, Lapis bolts up, ocean blue eyes wide. Her mouth opens then closes, like she wanted to say something but couldn't. 

"Mornin'" Peridot finally stood up, stretching and sliding the curtains to the side, sunlight filling the room, making it glow yellow. 

Lapis didn't say anything, just stared as Peridot casually searched through her drawers for clothes to wear for the day. She picked out her usual green flannel and jeans and turned to Lapis before she walked into the bathroom. 

"You brought clothes right?" 

Lapis nodded, her eyes opening wider. If that was possible. She probably took that statement the wrong way. But she couldn't of forgotten last night that easily... She had said she wasn't tired. What a liar. 

Peridot watched as she stood up and walked over to her bag before closing the bathroom door, locking it, and turning on the shower. She twisted to dial a bit, testing the water until it was deemed a reasonable temperature. Peridot stepped in, wetting her hair and cleaning.

When done, she grabbed a towel and dried herself as quickly as possible, hoping that Lapis hadn't left. She changed into her chosen clothes, tried once more to dry her damp hair, and failed, before walking out. It must've been a sight, to see Peridot, the school nerd, limp out of the bathroom on one leg, hair down, glasses off, prosthetic leg in left hand. 

But, Lapis was still there, sitting on her bed, fully dressed and playing a game on her phone. She looked up at Peridot's arrival and stood up to help her back onto the bed. Then, just stared as Peridot began to adjust her leg, putting her weight on it to test it before hearing a click that made Lapis wince. 

"Do you mind if I use your bathroom?" The blue haired girl had taken out a smaller bag from inside her backpack. The ones used for showers and such, you know the ones. Small, like a purse but with this plastic looking waterproof covering.

Peridot nodded "sure, go ahead". 

Lapis jogged into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her and turning on the tap to brush her teeth. Peridot waited, logging onto her computer and checking for any homework that needed doing. Nothing but an essay about something to do with medicine for History, due two weeks from today. Great. 

She opened up a bookmarked tumblr page, grinning as she scrolled through the tag. The door opened behind her but she didn't react, instead admiring the watercolour art on said tag. 

"Hey Peridot do you think we could make it to school on time if you drove us there?" 

"I doubt it, the traffics normally awful, that's why I leave early" Peridot shrugged, still not looking up. 

"What if they question you?" 

By 'they', Lapis probably meant the school. But Peridot was just a speck to the school. She could not be in for a week and no one would question her. 

"Nah".

"Okay.." 

Both females sat on Peridot's bed, an awkward silence filling the air. It stayed like that until Lapis finally spoke. 

"So about last night.." 

Peridot's gaze snapped onto Lapis. "What about it?" 

"Um..are you okay?" Lapis seemed awkward, like she wanted to avoid the subject of last night but couldn't. 

"Yeah" Peridot wasn't lying. By she also wasn't telling the truth. 

Jasper terrified her, the dream flashback thing had made it worse though. She could feel herself start to shake and decided not to make eye contact with Lapis. She didn't need any help, she was fine. 

"Come here" 

Peridot shuffled closer to the taller girl, half expecting her to either hug her or just straight up stand up and leave. 

She felt warm arms wrap around her neck and pull her closer into an even warmer body. This was nice. 

"Wanna like, hang out or something?" Peridot muttered into lapis' hoodie "I mean, why go to school now when we have a free day?" 

Lapis smirked, something she hadn't done in a while.

"Sure, where do you wanna go?" 

"The beach?" Peridot didn't like the beach, she couldn't swim because of her leg and sand seemed to always get in her mouth and food. That's why she never ate on the beach. And those damn seagulls. But it was for Lapis. For Lapis. 

"Sounds good! Can we stop off at my house for swimming stuff on the way?" 

Peridot audibly gulped and nodded, her cheeks heating up a she realised what she'd gotten herself into.


	24. Chapter 24

Lapis almost squealed when Peridot mentioned going to the beach. The beach was her favourite place to go, it calmed her down when she was stressed or angry and she enjoyed spending most of her evenings just laying on her back in the water and staring at the sky as the sun set. Now she'd get to share all that with Peridot. Though she didn't think the blonde would appreciate it as much as she did. 

Peridot was packing essentials when Lapis finally made her way down the stairs and into the living room to see the smaller girl placing suncream into her backpack. She gave Lapis a goofy smile before zipping up the bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Lapis guessed she was ready then. 

"You should change into some shorts, its pretty hot today" Lapis glanced out of the window. Surprisingly, the sun was out, shining bright onto the empty street. 

Peridot looked at her as if she were crazy. Her eyes darted down to her leg then back up to Lapis. She understood. 

"Ok fine, but wear something...less tight" the bluenette had nothing against skinny jeans, but wearing them to the beach was a bad idea. 

"I don't think I have anything other than pyjama bottoms and long shorts" Peridot replied quietly, embarrassed at her clothing choice. 

"I think I might have something" Lapis suggested with a small shrug. 

Peridot blushed and looked away in an attempt to hide it. But Lapis saw and understood if she was uncomfortable with the idea.

"It's either that or shorts" 

The blonde was having a mental debate. Wearing Lapis' clothes did sound nice. Awesome even. But they hadn't known each other for that long so it'd be really awkward on Peridot's side. Right now shorts sounded like a better idea. But would she ever have this opportunity again? Probably not? 

"Peridot?" 

Peridot jumped slightly at Lapis' voice. She slowly looked up, eyes wide. 

"Y'know, I think you should wear shorts but I'll bring some loose trousers if you're that uncomfortable" Lapis had made the decision for her.

"But-"

"No buts, now go change!"

Head down, Peridot stood up and went back to her room. With a small smirk, Lapis made her way to the kitchen for snacks and came across several shop bought sandwiches in a bag. Wow Peridot was prepared. Or maybe she bought them for herself and forgot about them? 

Light footsteps sounded from the stairs, muffled by the carpet. Peridot descended slowly and carefully, fingers gripping onto the wooden rail so hard her knuckles were turning white. Sure, she'd gone up and down these stairs with her prosthetic thousands of times but today felt different. She suddenly became very self conscious as she walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but light grey shorts that went down the her knees, an open green flannel shirt with a black shirt underneath and fuzzy rainbow socks, because why not. 

"Cute" Lapis blurted before she could stop herself. 

Peridot blushed again, fiddling with the long sleeves of her shirt. Another silence broke out. Lapis sighed and followed Peridot back into the living room. 

"Do we need anything else?" The bluenette asked as Peridot once again slung the backpack onto her shoulder, took off her socks and slid on a pair of worn sandals. 

Peridot shrugged and opened the door for Lapis before walking out after her, getting into her car, and starting it up. The drive to Lapis' house was quiet but it was peaceful. 

As the car stopped, Lapis got out, waving a thank you to Peridot before running into her house and grabbing what she needed: her blue bikini, two towels, one to sit on and the other to dry herself, a couple of books and magazines and her phone. Lapis quickly changed into her swimwear before sliding her clothes back on and walking out of the house in record time. It only took about five minutes. 

Lapis stepped into the car, pulling her seatbelt over her chest and clicking it into place. Peridot started the car, turned on the radio and set off towards the beach. It was a short ride from Lapis' house, only a two minute drive and a five minute walk. Well, depending on the traffic and how enthusiastic you were about heading to the beach. 

The car stopped in the gravel carpark adjacent to the beach and both girls got out and grabbed their stuff from the boot. Peridot was a lot more hesitant, already feeling people staring at her leg as she picked up her green blanket, shut the boot and locked the car. 

Lapis noticed Peridot's distress right away and wrapped an arm around the smaller girls shoulders and led her onto the sand. 

"I'm gonna get sand in the joints" Peridot sighed to herself, mentally hitting herself for not realising sooner. 

"I'll help you get it out back home if it gets to bad" Lapis reassured her, pulling her closer. 

They found a nice quiet spot near the edge of the beach where no one was around to question Peridot or flirt with Lapis. Yeah, that happened a lot. But now she had Peridot with her. She could always pretend to be dating her?? Maybe.

She watched as the blonde set down her blanket and sat down, pulling a book from her bag and opening it up on the bookmarked page. Lapis smiled at how cute she looked with her freckles glowing in the light. And her eyes looked even more stunning in the sun. 

Lapis pulled her shirt over her head and dropped it down beside Peridot who snapped her head away from her book to stare at it. Her face turned red as she slowly looked up. Lapis looked stunning. 

The tan girl smirked at the flustered blonde and spun around. She walked into the ocean and once she was deep enough, dived into the cool water. Instantly, all her troubles faded away as she closed her eyes and let the water rush around her body. This was nice. 

From the sand, Peridot stared at the spot where Lapis had dived in, her face as red as a tomato. She was too gay for this...


	25. Chapter 25

Peridot longed to jump into the water after Lapis but her brain told her not to. To just watch quietly as she swam back and forth in the ocean, her wet hair sticking to her face, her eyes locked onto the horizon. She looked so serious when she swam, anyone could tell she loved doing it by just looking at her face. In fact, Lapis looked at ease in the water, like she was meant for it, to swim and dive. It made Peridot's heart beat faster thinking of Lapis like that. 

And there there was her, Peridot, setting cross legged on a green blanket, book in hand, hair a mess and wearing shorts in public. She was a mess, she knew that, but she had learnt to ignore all the insults about her appearance. She'd learnt to just simply block people out. It was a useful skill to have. But Lapis thrived from attention, even though she kept to herself most of the time, when someone spoke or complemented her, she beamed as bright as the sun. It was adorable, in Peridot's opinion. She was lucky to have Lapis as a friend. Peridot had been bullied for her walk when she had first gotten her prosthetic. Heck, she was bullied because of her prosthetic and that was why she was always self conscious about it. She'd only told a handful of people about it, hardly anyone in the school knew, they either forgot or just didn't know. 

But Lapis hadn't said anything negative about it. She thought it was cool and normally stared at it with awe when she was walking around her house wearing shorts. She did that a lot. Peridot hadn't mentioned it to the others yet but she was sure they'd be okay with it too. Though she wasn't sure she could call them friends yet. Steven and Connie seemed pretty cool, she could definitely trust them with anything. Same with Pearl, she was nice and liked the same things she did. They got along well. Amethyst, she couldn't trust with any secret. She was super sweet but blurted anything she was told to everyone she knew in school. Ruby was very salty towards Peridot and she had never really spoken to Sapphire before but she seemed...chill. 

"Peridot" Lapis stood over the daydreaming girl, soaking wet and panting as if she had run a marathon. More like swam a marathon. Peridot internally snorted. 

"Hi" she said, looking up with a small smile. 

Lapis didn't reply, instead, grabbing her towel and wrapping it around her shoulders like a cape. She sat down on her other towel and tried to catch her breath before speaking. 

"We should've brought deckchairs" Lapis breathed. 

Peridot nodded. That would've been nice. Better than sitting on a blanket on the uncomfortable sand. Peridot was sure she had been sitting on a stone for the past half hour but was too lazy to move. Her legs ached and she as getting kinda hungry. Yes, she'd bought food, sandwiches and crisps and fizzy drinks. Healthy. 

Lapis chose a simple cheese sandwich and tore the box open with no trouble and picking up one of the sides, placing the box beside her feet and hoping it wouldn't fall. Peridot picked her sandwich from the small pile and tore to top of the box off, flinging it into her bag and biting down on her food. The two ate, making small talk, like what their favourite lessons were and about their future. Stuff like that. 

"Oh, by the way" Lapis stopped eating for a moment, turning to Peridot "do you know when our first big rehearsal is? Y'know, the ones with the props and costumes and stuff?" 

Popping the last of her food in her mouth and reaching over for a bag of crisps, Peridot shook her head and shrugged. 

"You sure eat a lot for someone so small" Lapis giggled.

Peridot growled, opening the bag of crisps and glaring at the blue haired girl beside her "I'm not small".

"You're like, half my size" 

"A little over half-" 

"Stand up" the bluenette ordered. 

Peridot could not believe they were doing this. It was so dumb. Sure, she ate a lot but she was growing. Kind of? She was still small for her age but maybe one day she'd be taller than Lapis. The blonde stood up alongside Lapis, who was smirking. Peridot barely reached Lapis' shoulder, her blonde hair only poking over it slightly. 

"Cute". 

"Oh my god, Lapis" Peridot groaned and slumped back down. 

Lapis laughed and brushed the sand off of her legs and arms and turned back towards the ocean. This time she was slower, picking her way over the path of rocks and wincing slightly as the dug into her bare feet. Peridot should've give her the sandals, they were old after all and she needed new ones. 

She watched once again as Lapis waded further into the water until it was up to her waist. Then she jumped in and disappeared from view. Her head bobbed up second later then vanished. 

Peridot had made her decision, taking off her sandals she stood up slowly. Walking across the rocks was no big deal, she couldn't feel anything with her prosthetic and her other foot had hardened from days of running around barefoot outside when she was younger. She'd always accidentally stepped on stones or glass so cutting it would be fine. Peridot was no idiot, she'd brought a small first aid kit with her. 

She set the sandals down and made her way back, almost slipping and falling on the sea soaked rocks. Clutching her chest in shock, she stepped back onto the soft sand and waited for her heart to stop thudding in her chest. 

\- - - 

They were at the beach for what felt like hours. Lapis had been laying on her back and watching as she sky grew dark and the tide grew closer on the damp sand. Peridot had read for a bit, eaten, watched Lapis and was now texting Amethyst. 

"Hey Peri" 

Lapis stood in front of her once again, wearing her sandals, that actually fit better than she though they would. 

"Don't call me that" though the nickname did sound good. It had a nice ring to it when Lapis said it. 

"Its getting late" Lapis checked her phone "can you drive me home?" 

Peridot nodded, face burning.


	26. Chapter 26

Lapis thanked Peridot before stepping out of the car. She grabbed all her stuff, and waved as Peridot turned her car around and drove off in the other direction. By now it was late afternoon, early evening, the temperature had dropped quite dramatically and Lapis found herself shivering as she fumbled in her pocket for her keys. 

Upon finding them, Lapis unlocked the door and stepped inside, grinning as the warmth from the house enveloped her cold form. It felt nice. She guessed her parents were back as the heating was turned on. Lapis wasn't allowed to touch the little dial that controlled the temperature of the house. When she was younger, she'd always fiddle with it and her parents would get mad. Once she accidentally knocked it and her parents never realised until their fish died from the heat. Oh boy had she gotten yelled at for that, grounded for a month, no meeting up with any friends, homework straight after school, no food until it was all done. Sure her parents were strict, but Lapis was used to it. 

Lapis set the keys down on the living room table and peered into the kitchen. Her mother sat at the table, a hot cup of coffee in her hands, staring at her laptop screen. She looked like she was working, as usual. All she did was work. She used to be so cool but then Lapis grew up. Lapis guessed having a teenager wasn't as fun as a child. Actually, that was true, Steven, though 14 he still acted like a child so it counted, was awesome, funny and just really pleasant to be around whilst Peridot was, from what she had gathered over the few weeks they'd known each other, rude, grumpy, sarcastic but still lovable in her own dorky way. Peridot made up for her personality with her looks. Fluffy hair, green eyes, big glasses. She was adorable and terrifying at the same time. 

"Lapis?" 

The blue haired girl blinked, not realising she had zoned our for a couple of seconds. She had planned on just leaving her mother to work but now she was going to be forced into a conversation.

"Hey" Lapis gave her a grin that certainly didn't reach her eyes. She just wanted to leave and daydream about Peridot some more. 

"How was school, sweetie" her mother turned back to her computer, tapping the keys and taking another sip of her coffee. 

Lapis gulped, replacing her genuine grin with a guilty one. 

"It was okay I guess" she replied with a shrug. 

"Why were you out so late? Any clubs you haven't told me about?" 

"What? Oh! No, I went to the beach with a friend" Lapis said quickly. 

Lapis' mother sighed, running a hand down her face. She really didn't like her daughters friends. They were reckless and crazy and... Flirty. Of course, she had no problem with Lapis liking girls, just not them. 

"Which one" she said with another sigh. 

"Peridot" 

That was new. 

"Who, dear?" 

"Oh, Peridot. She's new but we get along fine. She's pretty cool I guess". 

With a smile, Lapis' mother stood up so fast her chair nearly fell over. She waltzed over to Lapis, wrapping one arm around her. 

"You have to introduce me! Invite her over!" 

"Okay..." Lapis replied quietly, trying to wriggle out of her grip.

Once her mother had let go, Lapis ran from the room and up the stairs, not looking back as her mother called for her. Nope. 

She set her phone on her bed and changed into her pyjamas, throwing her clothes into a washing basket. It was hot and, even though she swam today, she was still sweaty. 

Taking her phone from its blanket nest, she dropped down onto her bed and opened up her messaging app, looking for the tiny green dorito icon. 

Lapis: peridot? u alive? 

Peridot: If you're going to be texting me at this hour, please use proper grammar, Lapis.

Lapis: wtf its like, 7pm 

Peridot: I was asleep. 

Lapis: oh

Lapis: ...

Lapis: peridot, wake up

Peridot: Can't you go annoy someone else, I'm tired. 

Lapis: you just sat on the beach all day, 'dot

Peridot: First of all:exactly, secondly: don't call me that. 

Lapis: ok whatever 'DOT I'll just cut 2 the chase ;) 

Peridot: ...

Lapis: my mother wants you to come over soon

Peridot: No thanks. 

Lapis: ???

Peridot: I'm like, the most socially awkward person you'll ever meet, just say I'm busy or something and leave me alone. 

Lapis: I don't like your attitude missy!

Peridot: Go away. 

Lapis: oh gosh you're even saltier than pearl 

Lapis waited for the reply but it never came. Her only guess was that Peridot had fallen back asleep? Or was deliberately ignoring her texts. Either way no more talking to Peridot tonight. 

As the bluenette lay on her bed, arms under her head, staring up at her ceiling where tiny glow in the dark stars were stuck, her stomach made a weird rumbling noise. Lapis looked down and placed a hand on her stomach. She sat up and checked around her room for any food she had forgotten to eat. Next she checked her bag. Inside was a packet at cool ranch doritos. Lapis grinned and opened the packet, digging into the triangular shaped crisps and savouring every one of them. 

"Heh, Peridot's hair kind looks like a dorito" Lapis held one up and closed one of her eyes to focus on it. Yeah, if you styled it upwards a bit it would look like a massive cool ranch dorito. 

Lapis didn't know what to do with this new information but maybe it would come in useful for the future? She highly doubted it but giggled as she placed the dorito in her mouth and bit down. 

Once finished with her food, she was slightly more satisfied. She searched the bag again and upon finding no more food, she decided to raid the fridge when her parents went to bed. Maybe she would save some food for a picnic with Peridot of something. She wanted to get to know the blonde better. Not just her favourite colour, but her family, past and interests other than anime, robots and doritos. Or whatever she said. 

Or she could just eat it all herself.


	27. Chapter 27

Peridot sighed loudly as she descended from her car and across the car park. It was the day after the beach 'date', though she wasn't sure she could call it a date or not. They hadn't really talked, only light conversation when eating before Lapis dove into the ocean again. Maybe if they went on a proper date they'd become closer. And becoming closer as friends means becoming closer to being lovers? If that made sense. Yeah, no. Peridot shook her head and tried to change the subject. School. Yeah, school was going well, rehearsals for the play were going much better than anyone had ever thought it would. By now they had set up everything in the small room at the back of the hall for the tech students to work on sound and lights. 

Entering the main building of the school, Peridot finally glanced down at the timetable in her hands. Geography. Great, one of the few lessons she didn't have with Lapis. To be honest, she only chose Geography because of all the trips they would be taking abroad. Last time she had convinced the staff supervising the trip to let her have her own room, whilst the others had to sleep in small groups. It was pretty great, she even managed to learn a new language. Or tried. Tried is a better word. 

Before the blonde knew it she was already on the second floor of the school and was heading down the short corridor towards her classroom. She stepped inside, glad to see only a few people had arrived and were sat it their designated seats. 

The seating arrangement for the geography room was a very strange one. Instead of the usual two person desks other classrooms had, this one had a line of tables on both sides of the classroom, fitting up to six people at one time. In the middle on the room was a large set of tables, both rows were put together to make a massive rectangle, fitting around twelve people respectively. And, last but not least was where Peridot sat. At the back was yet another row of tables, once again fitting six chairs underneath. No one really sat on this row. Only Peridot and Ruby sat there, which made it easy to talk as they were furthest away from the teacher. Not that they actually talked. Ruby still hadn't warmed up to the small blonde just yet. She'd always glare at her with her dark eyes, as if she knew something Peridot didn't. It was really freaky to say the least. 

With a grunt, the dark eyed girl sat next to Peridot, shuffling her chair forwards and resting both her chubby arms on the desk. She looked tired and more irritated than usual. Peridot decided the best option was to ignore her as normal. 

\- - - 

Fifth period was always the hardest. Unless it was a good lesson, like tech, then it usually went very very slowly. Peridot groaned quietly and ran a hand down her face. Glancing up at the clock she noticed it hadn't moved much from the last time she had looked. Great, just great. Lapis sighed beside her and it took all of Peridot's strength not to turn around to stare at her. They were silently working from textbooks, they had a cover teacher as theirs had called in sick, and were ordered not to talk. 

This annoyed the blonde. She hadn't really had the opportunity to talk to Lapis all day: at break she was busy with work and at lunch she had vanished. Peridot couldn't find her or her group anywhere and just gave up to go study. And even after school Lapis had a detention for something Peridot couldn't quite remember, possibly back talking a teacher or swearing in p.e? 

Because of this, Peridot had agreed to take over Lapis' job of babysitting steven whilst his dad was away because of business. Or something like that. 

The bell rang and the class finally started to shuffled around, grabbing their bags and closing their textbooks.

The cover teacher quickly stopped them, holding out a hand for them to stop and raising her voice as she spoke "the bell doesn't excuse you, I do!"

Peridot rolled her eyes but sat back down, her bag settled on the table in her arms. 

Once the teacher finally let them go, Lapis rushed out, not even glancing at the blonde as she exited the room. Peridot felt her heart shatter. With a sigh, Peridot made her way back to the car park where Steven was already waiting with his friend, Connie. Upon seeing Peridot, Steven ushered her over with a grin. 

"Hi Peridot!" 

"Hey" Peridot unlocked the car and opened the door for the two younger kids to slip into the back. The blonde took her seat at the front and started the engine, glancing back to make sure she didn't run over any of the students and she drove out of the carpark.

"Your car smells of citrus" Steven mused once they were out on the open road. 

The blonde chuckled to herself "Okay Steven, can you give me some directions?" 

Steven obliged and leant forward, resting his small hands on peridot's seat. 

"Go left!" 

Peridot went left. 

"OK, now go right, then left at the end of this road and boom!" Steven threw back his arms and leant back into his own seat. "We're here".

"Is Connie staying?" 

"If that's ok with you" 

Peridot nodded, unclipping her seatbelt and locking up her car once everyone was out. It was steven who unlocked the door and went in first, followed by the two girls. 

Stevens house was a lot different than she had expected. It was mostly wooden, like a large shack or something with stone walls at the back and multiple doors. To her left there were stairs leading to the second floor which was literally just one room. She guessed it was Steven's room as both children had already ascended up the wooden stairs. Sighing once again, Peridot slumped down onto the sofa and rubbed her eyes. 

Steven peaked over the stairs "you coming up?"


	28. Chapter 28

Lapis strode out of class deciding not to talk to Peridot and head straight to her detention. It was in a room on the other side of the school and she couldn't afford to be late. The teacher running it was very strict about timing, she had learnt that the hard way last year. Lapis had been busy all day, homework was currently weighing her down and if she didn't start studying soon, she was sure to fail her exams which could potentially lose her a place in her dream university. 

A while ago she had been pulled out of her drama class and told she needed to work harder in class if she wanted a good future. She hadn't told Peridot yet, she didn't know why, it hadn't really crossed her mind.

She entered the room with a small frown on her face. This wasn't her first detention and certainly wasn't going to be her last. Lapis sat down at the back and rest her bag next to her chair in case she needed to get out anything. Sometimes the teacher would make them do homework or write essays. Or they would just make the students sit there in silence, one peep out of anyone and the time was extended. Lapis didn't mind the silence though, it gave her time to think. 

After a couple of minutes of sitting in her chair, she leant back with her feet resting on the desk before the teacher finally walked in. Lapis set her feet down and shuffled towards the desk. The teacher didn't do anything, just sat down at the desk at the front of the classroom and picked up a book. Lapis smirked and leant back in her chair once again, arms crossed against her chest. 

Surprisingly there weren't a lot of students in the room today, only two people Lapis didn't recognise, one had long brown hair and tan skin, and the other short black hair and was very pale, and finally, there was Jasper. 

Lapis closed her eyes and found herself settling her head into the desk, using her arms as a pillow as she closed her eyes.

\- - - 

A knock sounded from downstairs which made Lapis look up from her computer. She was currently working on her media studies homework, storyboarding her short animation to present to the class. It was going surprisingly well considering Lapis had never used this software before. She stood up from her chair and ran down the stairs as another, more urgent knocking came from the door. 

"Calm down I'm here, I'm here!" She yelled, making the noise stop abruptly. 

Sighing, Lapis grabbed her keys and unlocked the door. Peridot was standing on her doorstep in her usual baggy green hoodie and jeans. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, something Lapis had never seen before. It honestly looked adorable. She had little freckles dotted around her forehead, something you wouldn't see because of Peridot's messy blonde hair that gets in the way of everything. Lapis didn't realise she was staring until she saw Peridot blush and wave a tiny hand in front of her face. She blinked and stepped aside for the smaller girl to enter, muttering a quiet apology as she passed.

Lapis closed the door behind her, locking it before turning around. "Why are you here?" Was the only thing she could say. 

Peridot blushed darker and shrugged, fiddling with the long sleeves on her hoodie "it gets lonely at my house". 

Fair enough thought Lapis as she gave the blonde a reassuring smile and lead her into her room. Not like she needed leading, Peridot had been here enough times to know her way around. She sat down on the foot on Lapis' bed, a guilty smile on her face. Did she think she was interrupting something? Well, she kind of was... 

"You sure you're not hot in that?" Lapis asked, concerned about her small friend suddenly collapsing or something. Sure it was almost winter but the sun was still out and shining as hot and bright as ever. May as well enjoy the sun while it lasts. 

Peridot nodded, shuffling her feet on the carpeted floor. She looked awkward. Heck, she always looked awkward. 

"Don't lie to me" Lapis had turned away and was now searching through a pile of movies. 

With a sigh Peridot slid off her hoodie and let it drop onto the floor next to her bag. She rubbed her arms and smiled a genuine smile as she felt the cold air from the AC hit her bare arms. 

"There, isn't that better-" Lapis moved into a position so she could see Peridot but stopped when she saw the shirt she was wearing.

It was rainbow, the pastel colours stood out from her black jeans and shoes. In the middle the words 'yes homo' were written in a bold black text. Lapis almost snorted. 

"Nice shirt". 

"Shut up it was the only one I could find on such short notice" she growled back. 

"Short notice?" 

"My mother came back and started questioning me. I needed to leave" 

So it was a lie. She wasn't lonely she just needed to get out of the house. Fair enough. 

"Its a cool shirt" Lapis mused, "didn't know you were...queer?" She didn't want to offend the blonde. 

"I'm gay" 

"Same" the blue haired girl blurted before slapping a hand over her mouth.

Peridot laughed, seeming to be much more relaxed than she had been before. She pulled up one of her socks. It was also rainbow.

Lapis guessed the other one was too. 

\- - - 

Lapis jolted up from her short nap, blinking tiredly. She was smiling fondly at the memory, it had only occurred mere days before but it still made Lapis happy she had a chance with Peridot. Now she just had to sit through the rest of this hell. She looked up at the clock and realised she had slept a lot longer than she had thought. Everyone had left and hadn't bothered to wake her up. Rude.

Standing up, Lapis left the room, hands in pockets, whistling happily.


	29. Chapter 29

Peridot sighed loudly. Loud enough for the small boy now standing at the foot of the staircase and the girl still on the second floor to hear. She raised from her sitting position, stretched tiredly, grabbed her bag and followed the excited boy up into his room. He looked happier than usual, and that was saying something. Peridot had never really talked to Steven before she met Lapis so she was kind of surprised when he agreed for her to come over and 'babysit'. The quotation marks because he was technically a teenager and could look after himself. But Peridot was almost an adult. 

Dropping her bag as soon as she entered the room, she sighed again, this time more quietly and sat back down on the carpeted floor, her back resting against Stevens bed. Peridot rubbed her eyes under her glasses, trying to get some much needed energy but it wasn't working. She was tired from her messed up sleep schedule, annoyed that Lapis had ignored her for the entire day, and hungry because she was always hungry. She wanted food but was too scared to ask. This house wasn't familiar to her, it'd be rude to just raid the kitchen for junk food. But her brain made her hesitate, made it seem as if Steven would just let her starve. But, of course, the wasn't the case. As if reading her mind, Steven threw over a a large bag of toffee popcorn for her, his trademark goofy grin on his round face. 

"Wow, thanks" Peridot was internally grateful. She popped open the bag and started nibbling on the pieces as Steven and Connie discussed things as they made their way though piles of disks. Connie had a bowl of doritos next to her and occasionally took a small handful when she stopped talking. 

"No prob bob!" Steven looked up towards the blonde, his grin widening. Peridot, being the awkward teen she was, smiled back, but this smile was small and awkward. Steven laughed happily and turned back to Connie. 

Peridot's heart was beating hard in her chest. That was awkward. She'd never smile again. Her usual scowl was good enough, it basically screamed 'get away from me unless you want to die' and she was okay with that. 

The pale blonde haired girl sat in silence, except for the quiet crumple of the packet as she dug her hand in deeper to retrieve the delicious snacks, for what seemed like ages until Steven once again turned around, this time standing up and jumping onto his bed. He lay down on his belly, holding a disk in his hands. Peridot couldn't see what it was but she sure was curious. 

"Hey peri~" said Steven, ignoring Peridot's flinch as he said the dreaded nickname. "Wanna play a game?" 

"Depends what game" came her reply. Her voice was as deadpan as usual. She sounded bored, unimpressed by Stevens hospitality but secretly, she was curious, begging him in her mind to turn over the disk and throw her a controller. 

"Mario kart!" He dragged out the words as he slowly turned the disk as dramatically as a fourteen year old boy could. "I know its super old, but it's still fun!"

"Okay" Peridot had to agree the game was fun but it also repeated stuff a lot and was too much like the DS game. Couldn't they make more new tracks? Maybe new controls? 

Steven passed over a controller and turned on the Wii, slipping in the disk and selecting the game. Connie also joined in, clipping her remote into a steering wheel. Peridot preferred it without one, it was easier to control and you could easily check if your remote was upside down and access to the buttons was simpler. But nonetheless, it was Connie's choice and maybe she was really good at this game? Maybe she'd finally have competition instead of Lapis just running into the corners for fun. 

They all selected their characters (Steven Mario, Connie Princess Peach, and Peridot Yoshi) and they were finally on the track options. 

"Grand Prix?" The boy asked, looking up at Peridot who had moved onto the bed, her popcorn sat in her lap. 

She nodded, her blonde hair bouncing as she moved her head. Connie quietly agreed too, she wasn't much of a talker but she was a good listener. Peridot wondered if she was any good at video games too. 

The game started and Peridot shot to the front of the group, grinning as she collected the powerups and crossed the finish line.

\- - - 

The door opened and Stevens dad stepped in, wiping a bead of sweat off his forehead and hanging his jacket on a hook beside the door. He looked around the small living room of the house for his son, and not finding him there, began the slow walk up the stairs. 

"Hey Steven in home-" his voice trailed of ash opened the door to two figure wrapped in blankets playing on Stevens Wii. The lights were off and the room was almost pitch black except for the faint glow of the TV. Three big bowls of snacks were scattered around them, two empty, one half full. 

At the sound of this door opening, Steven had paused the game and both had turned around. Greg had expected Lapis to be round but instead he was met with strangely familiar green eyes. 

"Hey" she said casually, waving her hand a little. 

"Peridot?" Greg asked slowly. 

The green eyed girl stood up, letting the blankets fall from her body. She brushed the crumbs off of her hoodie and looked up at Greg. She was smaller than him, but barely. Steven looked up at the two, wide eyed. 

"You know each other?" He asked happily. 

"Yeah! I used to work for her mother before I met Rose" he shuddered slightly and Peridot winced too "I used to babysit her. Then they moved away for a bit and I dunno what happened next". 

Peridot flicked on the lights and Steven tuned off the console. The blonde stretched tiredly and walked out of the room, saying her goodbyes before grabbing her bag and closing the door behind her.


	30. Chapter 30

Lapis fiddled with her locker, twisting the dials absentmindedly. She looked into the crowds of students making their way to their lessons, some chatting, others walking alone. Sighing, she finally opened her locker and took out everything she needed: her notes for English, a folder and her maths homework for period four. It was currently period two, she had just arrived from her media lesson, which had been an entire hour of Sapphire questioning her about Peridot. 

It had been a couple of week since Lapis and Peridot's beach...date? And it was now well into winter. Snow had blanketed the school grounds and hadn't shown any signs of stopping. If they were lucky, they would get tomorrow off, which meant another possible date with her crush. 

Lapis spun around, ready to head off to her next lesson which just happened to be with Peridot. She grinned at the thought of the small blonde sitting next to her, talking about all her nerdy obsessions. And Lapis would zone in on every word, nodding when she complained about something and agreeing with any statement, even if she disagreed herself. She could tell it made Peridot feel better about herself when she did it and it broke Lapis' heart when she was upset. 

The blue haired girl stop at the foot of the stairs leading to her art classroom. She began to ascend them, taking two steps at a time as she had long legs and did the action with little to no trouble. When Peridot climbed the stairs, it was a different story, she took one at a time, practically running up them and wheezing a little when she got to the top. It was adorable to say the least. 

And there she was: blonde hair pulled into a messy bun to keep it out of her eyes, her green eyes as bright as ever though her face stayed in its usual neutral expression. She always managed to look irritated and if it wasn't for her eyes, Lapis would've thought she was actually a robot. But after seeing her break down, twice, she had gotten to know the blonde better. She had a better understanding of her and the way she worked. And, surprisingly, she could relate to her. 

Lapis stepped up to her and poked her shoulder. Peridot didn't need to turn her head to know who it was. She shut her book and placed it in her bag before facing the taller girl. 

"Lapis" she greeted in her raspy tone. Her eyes seemed to shine brighter when Lapis was around and her lips were pulled up into a goofy smile the showed off her little dimples. Oh stars she was cute. 

"Hey perisnot" Lapis hesitated after realising her mistake. Peridot really hated nicknames but today it seemed to go over her head and she just smiled wider, her cheeks going red. 

Nothing else was said until the group of jittering students piled into the classroom, taking their seats and looking hopefully towards the front of the room where their teacher stood, setting up the interactive whiteboard as her class settled. Lapis placed her bag down, seating herself on a desk at the back of the large classroom, art classrooms were always bigger than normal ones, and Peridot did the same, lining up her artists pencils and waiting for her sketchbook to be handed to her. 

Two of the art students had already taken the task of handing out the books to their assigned owners. With a glance at the sticker on the front, one of them, a rather tall boy with bright red hair Lapis wasn't sure was natural of not, headed over to Lapis' seat, sliding her book across the table with a flirty wink. 

Lapis scoffed at him, opening her book and glancing over to Peridot, who was staring at the boy as if she was about to jump out of her seat and attack him. A sly smile played at the tanned girls lips. 

"You jelly?" She asked the blonde, flinging an arm around her small shoulders. 

Peridot visibly tensed. "No!" She said a little too fast. She seemed to trip over the single word and she ran a hand down her face, angry at herself for messing up. 

"It's 'kay" Lapis said, bringing her hand up to ruffle Peridot's hair. The blonde slapped her hand away and tried to neaten her hair, even going as far as to redo her bun."You don't have to be jealous, we're not even dating" she went on to say cooly though the words left a bitter taste in her mouth. 

"I wasn't jealous" Peridot said blankly. 

\- - - 

Break was boring: the only interesting thing that happened was when Amethyst started making out with Pearl again, startling the pale girl enough to almost fall over. The brunette had caught her just in time and swept her off her feet. Literally. Everyone around her was whistling and cheering as Amethyst walked off with a screeching Pearl, never to be seen again. Once again, literally. Period three was Chemistry and neither showed up for registration. 

And that was when the dirty rumours started, most of them made by Lapis or Ruby, being the most immature in the group. Garnet had scolded them but her usual stoic act had faltered when Lapis started grinning manically at her.

"Do ya think they'll be back in time for maths?" Lapis had asked her, trying to hold in another burst of laughter. "Or are they going full out". 

Behind her, Peridot snorted. She normally sat next to Pearl and with her absence, had decided to place her bag on the chair instead. It gave her easier access to her equipment, the blonde had explained when asked by Lapis. 

"By the looks of it, they'll be stuck in the snow" Garnet nodded towards one of the large windows. Outside, flecks of white were falling heavily from the sky, making it almost impossible to see the faint outlines of the science mobiles that were placed at the side of a long path. 

Lapis laughed harder, slamming a fist onto the wooden table and wincing at her mistake. 

Chemistry had been a blur, nothing interesting had happened. No practicals, just copying a bunch of equations and facts they needed to know for the upcoming tests from the board. Their teachers handwriting was very neat and Lapis couldn't help but feel a little jealous of the fact that she could write straight on a the whiteboards without messing up. Maybe it was because Lapis wasn't straight? 

Period four was maths. Lapis had only done half of the assigned homework, the rest she copied off Peridot. The small girl didn't mind, she seemed less awkward today. She was definitely more relaxed around Lapis than she had been in the past. Now they could talk about dumb things that probably would've never been talked about if they had sat there mere months ago. 

\- - - 

After school both girls had to go to the auditorium for more rehearsals. It was getting closer and closer to the performance day and the nerves were certainly taking a toll on the blue haired girl. She slipped on her dress, applied some makeup and walked out from begin the stage just in time to see Peridot walking up to the lighting booth wearing her black Tech Support hoodie. They exchanged smiles before moving on to their designated places.

Lapis stepped up onto the stage and waited for her queue. She watched as Peridot flicked up a couple of switches on her panel and then turn a dial, making the stage go dark. Another guy stood beside her, headphones around his neck and he fiddled with a set of speakers. He was the sound guy. 

She took in a deep breath and waited for the music to start. Once it did she ran into the middle of the stage, said a couple of dramatic lines and started to dance, her dress swirling around her thin figure. After her little performance she tripped onto the wooden stage, head held low. She heard footsteps coming from backstage and another character came one. Standing up, she turned to him, angry.

After several minutes of yelling, the lights went out again and the music started to play. Lapis stepped off the stage, grabbing a bottle of water from a cooler placed at the edge of the room. She opened it up and gulped it down, watching as Peridot moved around the small booth, talking to the sound guy. She looked in her element, headset placed around her ears, hoodie on, with her light panel in front of her. It was nice. 

"Lapis!" She snapped back into reality at the sound of Amethysts loud voice. She was coming over to where she sat, a bottle of some sort of energy drink in her hands. 

"Hey Ame" Lapis said with a grin. She closed her bottle and set it down next to her schoolbag, making sure that no one could knock it over. 

"You thinking about Peridot?" She asked, eyebrows raised. 

Lapis blushed and ran both hands down her face. She sighed, it was hard to hide a crush from one of your best friends. She was pretty sure she knew now anyways so what was the point. So, Lapis nodded, ignoring the way Amethyst seemed to light up. 

By now Lapis had managed to compose herself enough to ask "so, where have you been?"

Amethysts smile faltered, her face becoming redder as she sat herself down and placed her hand neatly in her lap. 

"Just...hung out with P" she replied cautiously. Lapis knew full well that it wasn't the full answer and she tried to press more on the subject. 

But, before she could open her mouth to speak, she was called back onto the stage. She glanced back at the dark eyed girl, trying to mentally tell her she wasn't done with her yet. There were still more questions she needed to know! 

She climbed back onto the stage and watched as Peridot talk into her headset. The blonde nodded to herself before leaning back on her chair and flicking a switch. A red light came on, contrasting well with lapis' blue outfit. It was perfect. She began dancing again, this time to more aggressive music. 

\- - - 

As soon as both girls stepped out of the building, the sky had already grown a dark blue colour and the snow was still falling. Peridot sunk a little as she began the walk to her car and Lapis followed. 

"Do you think it'll be safe to drive?" She asked, worried that Peridot would hurt herself if she wasn't careful.

Peridot made a small noise and shrugged. "I'll just be extra careful when on the road" she replied. 

"Okay but do you want to stay with me for the night? My house is closer" Lapis made up the most reasonable excuse for wanting Peridot to stay over.

Peridot seemed as if she was thinking it over in her mind. After a couple of seconds, she nodded. "Okay, I'd rather be snowed in with you than by myself". 

That made Lapis' heart beat faster, colour rushing to her cheeks. Peridot opened the door to her car and got in after her. 

The journey was quick and nothing needed to be said. When Lapis unlocked the door, the house was dark and empty and another note was stuck to the other side of the door. Her parents were out. Again. That was actually good news for once! She was alone in her house with Peridot. Could this day get any better?


	31. Chapter 31

Peridot watched as the rain splattered against the window, echoing around the room. She leant forward and pressed her forehead onto the cold glass, closing her eyes and just listening to the noise. It was calming in a way. Peridot liked rain. Well, she did if she wasn't stuck in it. A flash of lightening brought her back into reality and she jumped back, eyes wide. She shut the curtain and sighed, rubbing her tired eyes. 

The door opened behind her and she turned around to see Lapis holding several packets of crisps and two piping hot mugs of hot chocolate. Lapis passed one of the mugs to Peridot. It was decorated with little flowers, the handle in the shape and colour of a vine. She smiled and took a sip of the drink, licking up the stray cream that coated her mouth. 

Lapis dropped the food and sat beside her near the window. She set her mug down on the carpeted floor, cradling it with her hands and also making sure she didn't burn herself. 

"Its raining pretty hard, eh?" She said, pulling one of her curtains open to look at the dark storm clouds hovering above her house. 

Peridot knew she was planning something and she didn't like it. As much as she loved the idea of cuddling up to Lapis and listening to the rain beat on her window she knew that would never happen. And she had accepted that. Ever since Lapis had found out Peridot was a raging homosexual, everything had seemed less tense and both girls were definitely acting more comfortable around each other. But that didn't excuse the fact that a relationship between them would most likely not happen. For many, many reasons that Peridot had went through thousands of times in her head. And every time, her heart yearned for her to be with Lapis. But it was never meant to be, was it?

Suddenly Lapis stood up, walking over to her wardrobe and pulling out a pair of long trousers, boots and a thick dark blue hoodie that didn't really look like the kind of thing Lapis would wear. It wasn't her shade, more of a navy colour than an actual blue. She pulled on the clothes, ignoring the fact that Peridot was still sitting on her floor, sipping her cocoa as she watched the blue haired girl slip on her hoodie and pull it down. It was obviously way too big, it almost reached down to her knees and the sleeves were too long. In conclusion: she looked adorable in her oversized hoodie that looked like it could fit...Jasper.

Peridot froze in sudden realisation that Lapis and Jasper had once been friends. She wanted to cry but she stopped herself. For Lapis. Instead, she forced out a smile that she was sure the taller girl could see straight through and followed her back down the stairs. When Lapis opened her front door, she stopped at the foot of the staircase, shaking her head. 

"Come on, Peridot" Lapis groaned, leaning on the door and waiting for her small friend. She stared at her with big blue eyes, making the blondes heart thud noisily in her chest. She hoped lapis couldn't hear it. 

"I can't get my leg wet" Peridot blurted, not really thinking what she had said through. She wasn't sure what would happen if she got her prosthetic wet, the joints could rust over and then she'd have to fix it? Again.

The blue haired girl sighed, twisting the door handle as she thought."you're wearing jeans!" She said nonchalantly, raising an eyebrow.

"So? Its pouring out there!" She grabbed a fistful of jean and looked up at Lapis, eyebrows knitted together "these are not waterproof, lazuli". 

"Come on!" She pressed "I'm sure a little water couldn't hurt" Lapis stepped forward and intertwined her fingers with Peridot's. 

"Like you'd know" the blonde grumbled, letting herself be dragged to the door but stopped once again in front of it. She couldn't bring herself to step out, knowing the consequences of doing so. 

Lapis ignored her, twisting the door handle as she spoke up "come on! Stop being such a buzzkill" she groaned at the blonde, stepping outside and holding out her arms. The rain hit her immediately, her blue hair sticking to her tanned face. 

With a long sigh Peridot buttoned up her flannel shirt and rolled the sleeves down. It had been a relatively warm day until now. Sans for the minor snowstorm. But that was the typical weather here in beach city. She adjusted her jeans and retied the shoelaces on her converse, trying to stall as Lapis waited outside the door, in the rain. 

Time seemed to move slower as Peridot took a small step outside, instantly getting hit by a gust of wind that sent rain hammering down into her face. Within seconds, she could barely see because the raindrops had filled her glasses lenses with little blurry dots. 

Peridot groaned angrily and stood in the rain for a couple of seconds, watching Lapis shut the door and run over to a particularly large puddle. The blonde knew what she was going to do before she even did it; that smug look on her face hid nothing. 

It was a dramatic movement, bending her knees so she was almost in a squatting position and leaping forwards, hitting the massive puddle in the middle and splashing water over the path. Some of it splashed over Peridot's shoes and she grumbled in complaint. Lapis obviously didn't hear her through her laughter. Her smile made Peridot's heart flutter and for a second she forgot how angry she was. She stepped forward so she stood at the side of the puddle watching Lapis splash around like a child, soaking her trousers in the process. 

Lapis, panting slightly, grabbed a fistful of Peridot's flannel and pulled her away from the house. The rain hit her like bullets once again as another gust of wind blew across her face. Other than the whistles of the wind and the booming thunder in the distance, everything else seemed quiet. Too quiet. There were no cars on the road, mostly because the roads were blocked with thick layers of snow. Luckily the snow had stopped and been replaced by rain. Just as thick as the snow had been, turning the white blanket into a gross grey slush. Man, weather sure was weird around here. 

"I love the rain!" Lapis grinned goofily as she sat down on a wall, wiping the snow off of it beforehand. Peridot stood in front of her, raising her arms to intertwine her hands with Lapis'. 

This was the perfect moment. Slightly ruined by the fact that Peridot's clothes were now sticking to her skin, making her incredibly self conscious but other than that... The perfect moment. 

"I figured" Peridot mumbled, squeezing Lapis' hands and leaning closer. 

A drip of rain dribbled down her face but she ignored it. She liked this feeling. She felt warm and happy for once. She had someone who actually cared about her. Her brain screamed for her to stop as her nose touched lapis'. One sudden movement and their lips would connect and all this longing would be over. 

In Peridot's mind only two things could be triggered by this: Lapis confessing her undying love for her, resulting in them dating or Lapis being absolutely horrified at the fact that Peridot was head over heels for her and never talking to her again. The second option lingered in her mind longer than she would've liked. It almost made her pull back, just as her mind was telling her to. But she didn't care. This was perfect. 

The blondes lips locked onto Lapis' and everything stopped. Peridot had closed her eyes and secretly hoped Lapis was doing the same. It would really make the moment. 

After a couple of startled seconds, she felt Lapis kissing back and her heart did a back flip. They stayed like this for only a couple more seconds that honestly felt like minutes, before they broke the kiss. Peridot's face was beet red, her green eyes wide. She could barely see a thing with all the raindrops on her glasses but she swore she saw the happy grin of Lapis lazuli through the blurred lenses. The taller girl ascended from where she was sat and guided the small blonde back into the house. 

Once inside, they took off their shoes and put them on a warm radiator to dry. Lapis stared at Peridot, not knowing what to say. 

Alarms started to go off in Peridot's head, making tears prick at the corners of her eyes. What if Lapis hated her now? Then why did she kiss back? Was it just in the heat of the moment? Whatever it was, she couldn't let Lapis see her cry so she managed to blurt "can I change in your bathroom?" Her voice shook slightly but she was pretty sure Lapis didn't hear it. And even if she did, she didn't say anything about it. 

Lapis simply nodded, asking "sure, do you need any clothes?" To which Peridot replied which a "yeah thanks, if you don't mind". 

And so Lapis went to search her drawers for clothes whilst Peridot turned on the shower. She waited for the water to turn hot then peeked out from behind the door, waiting for Lapis to return. 

Peridot hated wearing wet clothes. They stuck uncomfortably to her skin and showed off more than we would've liked them too. Sure Peridot wasn't skinny or what anyone would call 'fat'. She was fairly chubby but in a good way. If that makes sense. Yeah. It still made her self conscious, the way other's eyes would drag themselves down her body when they passed her. Lapis said she looked cute. She always said that. 

Lapis came out from her room, startling Peridot out of her dumb daydreaming. She set a small pile of clothes in Peridot's arms including: long blue shorts, a grey tank top with a dolphin on the front and some fuzzy ocean themed socks. And some underwear but let's not get into details there. Peridot thanked her and closed the door behind her. 

She stripped off her clothes and set them in a corner then startled fiddling with her prosthetic. It was hard to see, even with her glasses now clean from the rain. Her hair had grown longer and it stuck to her face as she pressed down on a button. 

Soon, the leg was off and set down on top of the fresh clothes. She hopped to the shower and started cleaning her messy hair. 

Peridot carefully got out of the shower no more than ten minutes later. She dried herself and slipped on her leg before dressing. Lapis was tall and skinny and the clothes fit surprisingly well on peridot's smaller frame. The socks were probably the best, they were warm and had little pads on the bottoms. Peridot had never had socks like those. They were awesome. 

Making her way to the mirror, the freckled girl tried to fix her mane of blonde hair, drying it to the best of her ability with a towel, she didn't know if Lapis had a hair dryer, and tried to flatten it down with hairspray she found beside the sink. It didn't work.

Finally, she placed her glasses back on her nose and walked out of the bathroom. Lapis' door was closed and she hesitated before knocking. Just in case she walking in on Lapis changing. That Would be awkward. 

"Come in!" Came the muffled voice of Lapis lazuli. Peridot did as she was told and opened the door. As she came into the room, a flood of warmth came over her and she had to step back for a second. 

Lapis was sitting on her bed, holding another cup of hot cocoa. Peridot's mug sat on her desk, filled up with the warm liquid. She graciously took it and took her seat on the foot of her bed. 

She felt Lapis' eyes scan her body and she turned away to try and hide her blush. "You look cute in my clothes" Lapis said quietly, her voice soft with not a hint of venom in it. 

Peridot's cheeks only darkened at the comment. She quickly turned away and started checking through her school bag, sorting out her folders and stuff as Lapis shuffled around behind her. 

"You wanna sleep on the bed or floor?" Came a voice, cutting through the silence and making Peridot jump slightly. 

"The floors fine" she mumbled. Her heart was still in her throat, adrenaline rushing through her veins. But she stayed put on the floor. 

Lapis dropped a couple blankets and three pillows beside Peridot. "Sorry I don't have a spare mattress or whatever but these should do" she gave her a halfhearted smile as she sat herself back down on her bed "but my floors carpeted and genuinely comfy so you shouldn't complain". 

Peridot nodded and gave her a small "okay" before setting up her little makeshift bed. She pushed her bag into the corner of the room and lay out the first blanket then piled the rest on top. Lapis watched her as she moved around, not taking her ocean blue eyes off her. The blonde started to feel a little self conscious but chose to ignore it. If she said anything, she'd make it even more awkward. 

"What time is it?" The small girl asked as she flopped down onto her little bed, sprawling out her legs as she did so. 

Lapis looked up from her phone; she had gotten bored of staring at her, mostly because she was too short to sort out the blankets and managed to trip over them. It was funny for a while but other than that, it had gotten boring and Lapis' phone had miraculously appeared on her bed next to her. Truly a miracle. 

"11pm" she said with literally no emotion in her voice. As if she'd forgotten about the kiss, about everything. She yawned and looked back up at the small girl. "You tired?" 

"A bit" the blonde responded, rubbing her eyes. 

Lapis hesitated, as if she was debating whether or not to suggest something else other than sleep. But she did genuinely feel tired, and so did Peridot. All those late night gaming episodes had definitely taken a toll on her. 

"We should get some rest" Lapis concluded with a curt nod that Peridot was sure wasn't directed towards herself. 

The blue haired girl pulled back the covers and settled down into them, pulling them up to her chin. Peridot sighed quietly and lay her head down onto her mountain of pillows. She closed her eyes. 

"Goodnight Lapis" she murmured sleepily, already being sucked under. 

"Goodnight ominous triangle at the foot of my bed" came her reply. 

"shut up".


	32. Chapter 32

Lapis' eyes shot open at the sound of shuffling coming from the foot of her bed. Slowly, she lifted herself onto her elbow and peered down at Peridot's makeshift bed. The small blonde was still asleep but was tossing around in her bed. The blankets were strewn over her legs, one of the pillows had mysteriously teleported so it sat between her feet. Her pale freckled face was scrunched up in what looked like pain. Not physical pain but mental, something Lapis could understand. The blue haired girl watched her for a little longer, wondering what was going on in her head. Should she wake her up? If she did, the smaller girl would probably get mad. But if she didn't she'd have to watch her suffer. 

Settling back down so her cheek was pressed against her pillow, Lapis waited for a sign, listening to the shuffles and small noises coming from her sleeping friend. Maybe she'd wake up on her own. As the thought came to Lapis, a wave of reassurance swept over her, calming her nerves. If she woke the blonde, what would she even do? comfort her? They'd kissed in the rain mere hours ago though she wasn't sure if Peridot had meant it or not. Or if she'd been the one to kiss first. It had been a blur from the time they had locked lips. From then on it had been awkward. Too awkward. 

\- - - 

Peridot woke up to bright lights and a strange metallic noise coming from the floor. As her eyes adjusted to the light they widened in sudden realisation as to where she actually was. If she tilted her head to the left, she could see the wooden doors and whitewashed walls as she sped by them on her bed. An oxygen mask was strapped to her face, making it hard to breathe and when she moved her arms, she couldn't go too far. They were covered in little tubes filled with strange coloured liquid. 

The small girl tried to talk, to ask the person behind her where she was and what had happened, but all she could muster was a small groaning noise. Apparently, though muffled by the plastic mask, the supposed doctor heard her and pulled into a room. The bed was backed into a corner next to window with the blinds drawn. By now the light was starting to hurt the blondes eyes as she didn't have her glasses on and her eyes were already pretty messed up. She tried to motion to the doctor by jerking her head towards the switch, positioned beside the door as most switches are, but couldn't seem to get the message across. 

Instead, she watched the doctor, a tall dark skinned woman with black hair that was greying, as she scribbled down notes onto a clipboard. Peridot groaned again, trying to catch her attention but this time the noise seemed to be a lot quieter. 

Alas, the woman looked up from her writing to stare at the young girl for a couple of seconds, a warm smile on her wrinkled face. Then, she turned back, added a few more things to her sheet and set the clipboard down onto a table. 

"Peridot, right?" She asked, sliding her hands into the pockets of her long white jacket.

Peridot blinked tiredly and nodded slowly. She was drained from...something. To be honest she didn't know why she was so tired when she had just woken up. But then again she was in hospital so who knows. 

"I'm Dr. Maheswaran" she said, walking over to her bed and adjusting her glasses so they sat on the tip of her nose.

Peridot blinked again, trying to ignore the way her eyes stung as she looked up. Eventually, Dr.Maheswaran got the message and flicked of the lights, leaving the room in almost complete darkness. The older woman open the curtain and a trail of sunlight danced across the pale blue walls of the room. 

"You should get some rest" was the last thing the blonde girl heard as the door shut behind the woman and everything faded into black.

\- 

A loud noise startled the girl out of her slumber and she slowly opened her eyes. She was still in the same mysterious hospital room she was before but now her mask had been taken off and she could breathe properly. Beside her, a heart monitor beeped a steady rhythm, calming down her sudden nerves and anxieties. The curtains were now open, and the deep blue sky was beginning to turn a darker hue. It looked to be late afternoon to early evening and everything was silent except for the occasional beep.

The blonde sighed and made an attempt to sit up. Her ribs ached and her lungs burned at the action but eventually she managed to get herself to rest her back against the thick layer of soft white pillows. And finally, she could take in her surroundings. And her leg...well, what was left of it. She looked down to see a stump where her leg ended. Her foot was gone and suddenly the heart monitor began to speed up. She spotted a long tube that was connected to the stump that led to a weird looking bag filled with a dark reddish pink coloured liquid. The heart monitor sped up faster.

As much as she hated it, she couldn't recall what happened. All she could remember was being knocked down, a scream and a sudden excruciating pain that had ended as quickly as it had begun. And then darkness, more screams, sirens and finally, silence. Sickening silence. 

Did her mother know about this? She honestly hoped not. Did she cause this? Possibly. When would she come? It was obviously inevitable and going to happen very soon.

Peridot tried to calm herself down, listening as the dotted beeps turned into slower ones. Her whole body ached and suddenly she had difficulty breathing. Clutching her chest in an attempt to make it right, she suddenly realised why the oxygen mask had been attached to her face. Her head began to become foggy and her vision blurred. Opening her mouth to call for help but nothing came out, only choked sobs that echoed painfully around the room. 

The door was slammed open and a figure in a white coat rushed in. They went straight to small girl, adjusting the tubes in her leg and setting her head back down onto the pillow. Peridot couldn't see who it as, tears were streaming down her cheeks and the pain was making her body numb. She opened her mouth again, but something warm and plastic as slid onto her face. Her eyes slowly drifted shut and she was thrown back into her dreamless sleep.

\- 

The second time she was awoken by rough shaking and yelling. A familiar voice that made her heart skip a beat. And then another voice. Another force, prying their cold hands on top of her shoulders. Peridot didn't want to wake up, she wanted to sleep forever but she knew she couldn't. It wasn't that easy. 

"Peridot" came the voice again. Her mother was there, sitting next to her. 

Now she faced a decision: wake up and talk or stall for time and pretend to sleep. The latter really did seem like a good option but she knew she'd have to face the woman at some point. So she took the risk. 

Peridot's eyes flittered open, pretending that she had awoken from a heavy sleep. She breathed in sharply and adjusted herself so she was sitting up. Her body seemed to hurt less now and the sky was a navy colour outside, signalling that it was either very late at night or very early in the morning.

"Peridot" her mother repeated and her attention was snapped onto the blonde woman in front of her. 

Her dark eyes seemed to glare holes into Peridot and the small girl squirmed under her gaze. But she couldn't couldn't go far. She knew that. 

"Hi" Peridot's voice was hoarse from lack of use and her mouth was dry. She tried to gulp but found difficulty in doing so. 

"You do realise I have to pay for this?" Came her reply. It sounded angry? Not worried. 

In fact, Peridot couldn't sworn her mother had been with her during the accident but she looked fine. 

"Sorry" the blonde blurted. It was a default now. 

Her mother sighed and ran a hand down her face. She reached behind her and brought out a bottle of water which Peridot took and happily gulped down. 

"No, I'm sorry" her mother didn't really look sorry "I've just been really stressed. But you should be discharged soon and we can go back home". 

"How long have a been here?" Peridot paused her drinking and played with the lid as she stared up at her mother. 

"About a week, you slept for most of it". 

Peridot felt sick. 

"What about Jasper, does she know bout this?" It hurt to think about her but there was a possibility she still cared. Right? 

Her mother shook her head sadly. Though she didn't look that sad. 

"How am I gonna get to school?" Peridot's head was filled to the brim with questions. This was the one she needed the most. How was she going to move around without a leg? Her silent question was quickly answered as Dr. Maheswaran walked in, a wheelchair and a set of crutches in her hands. 

A lump formed in her throat and tears fell from her eyes. She bent over, holding herself as Dr. Maheswaran untangled the tubes from her body and helped her up. It felt weird only having one leg. She felt lighter and her weight was awkwardly shifted to the left. Peridot experimented with the crutches for a while, hopping around before sliding into the wheelchair and being escorted to her mother's car. 

Once her mother had filled out everything, it was sorted. They drove back home in an awkward silence, Peridot playing Pokemon on her DS whilst her mother tapped her finger on the steering wheel along to a song on the radio. 

-

The next couple of months were painful. Mentally and physically. Peridot needed someone around her for almost the entire day, helping her move from classroom to classroom during her school hours and to and fro from her room at home. Stairs were also a problem; her mother had used her office as a spare room, moving her desk and computer up to her room and setting up a little mattress bed complete with a mountain of pillows around her aching leg. 

At school, she'd been made fun of for her new disability by Jasper and her new gang and repeatedly pushed over. More rumours had started spreading but Peridot couldn't do anything about it. Only sit and wait for the sting in her heart as the insults were thrown at her. It wasn't nice but she had to live with it. Well, until she could fight back. 

One specific day still stuck in her mind. It had been a couple weeks to a month since the accident and she was back to her regular schedule of schoolwork. All was going well, people were being sympathetic towards her, people who had laughed at her in the past. 

But that had only lasted mere days. Until Jasper came along with a smirk that made Peridot's heart beat faster in fear. Her helper, an older student who pushed her to her next class, was in the bathroom doing whatever people do in bathrooms and the blonde was left outside, checking over her timetable for the millionth time. Jasper had turned the corridor, walking to her next class when she spotted Peridot in the wheelchair. She had frozen, dark eyes wide.

"Welcome back" she said, voice laced with venom, enough for Peridot's heart to thud against her ribs painfully. 

She set her tiny hands on the wheels, hoping she could get herself out of a potentially dangerous situation if need be. But Jasper was faster than she had expected, sprinting over to her in mere seconds and stopping in front of her. 

Peridot could feel her heavy breath on her cheeks. 

"What do you want?" She asked, hoping that her voice didn't shake as she spoke. 

How long did it take for someone to use the bathroom? 

Jaspers Brown eyes glanced down at her leg, then back up to her face. Everything seemed to freeze as Jasper placed her large hands onto the sides of her chair, a dark grin on her face. She began to rock the chair from side to side, until Peridot almost lost balance and slipped off. At this point she was yelling for the taller girl to stop, too small to do anything to stop the situation. 

A door slammed shut behind them and another opened. The older student helping her: a tall girl with light brown hair and ice cold eyes. She wore hair hair in two separate braids and was wearing a simple jacket and shorts. Opal. 

"What do you think you're doing??" She asked, her voice was as cold as her eyes. 

Jasper let go, holding out her hands in defense. 

"Go" 

The smaller girl ran off back down the corridor, leaving the blonde to sit and stare in awe. Opal turned back towards Peridot, checking her over to see if she was okay. She was now. 

"Thank you" she mumbled, playing with her fingers. 

Opal smiled down at her "I'm only doing my job" she said with a wink "I'd always help a friend in need". 

Peridot gushed. Friend. She said friend. This was possibly the best and worst day of her life. Could this friendship last forever? Opal was leaving in a couple of years. Would she ever see her again? She hoped so. 

They lost contact when opal left and Peridot was alone in the dark again. That was, until she met Lapis. Lapis. 

\- - -

"Lapis" Peridot yelled into the darkness, sitting up. She didn't notice she was crying until a salty tear dropped onto her hand. 

"Peridot?" The voice was groggy and muffled. But Lapis was awake. She was safe. "You okay?" 

Peridot shook her head, no, until she realised that it was still pitch black and Lapis couldn't see. 

"No" she said, letting her voice shake. "C-can I sleep with you?" She felt her cheeks heat up as she said it but she didn't feel safe on the floor by herself. 

Lapis was slightly taken back. She hesitated, weighing down her options. On one hand she had just woken up from what she supposed was a flashback but on the other, she had kissed the other earlier that day and things seemed to be very awkward between them. But right now she wanted nothing more than to comfort her small friend. 

"Okay, come here" she said softly, watching the figure shift so she stood up, a blanket draped over her tiny shoulders. 

Lapis threw the blanket off of her so Peridot could slip into the bed beside her. She set her own on top of them. It was a cold night and they needed all the warmth they could get. 

Peridot curled up under the covers, sniffling quietly every couple of seconds. She probably wouldn't be sleeping any time soon. Lapis was about to ask what she had dreamt about to make her like this but stopped when she felt two warm arms wrap around her waist and a head rest on her shoulder. She froze up, unsure of what to do, her heart beating wildly in her chest. Peridot was hugging her. Peridot. Was. Hugging. Her. It might not have been intentional as she was probably still tired and cold but Lapis didn't really produce that much body heat. She was skinny and Still pretty small, even compared to Peridot. 

"Peridot?" She asked, wondering if the smaller was even awake at this point. 

The blonde snuggled close to her, humming in reply. 

"Goodnight" Lapis said, closing her eyes, a small smile playing at her thin lips. 

Peridot hummed again, too out of it to answer in proper words. Both slept soundly for the rest of the night, thriving in each others company. That was, until a very awkward start to the morning the next day...


	33. Chapter 33

Peridot opened her eyes to an unfamiliar blue ceiling with little glow in the dark stars and moons stuck onto it, some making constellations, others just stuck in random spaces. For some reason, it calmed the blonde from her racing heart. She turned around onto her side to try and get comfortable but was met with a face full of blue hair. The blonde drew back, almost falling off the bed. The bed? Wait, wasn't she on the floor? 

The small girl sat up, running a hand through her awful bed head and looking down at the sleeping figure beside her. Suddenly everything came back and Peridot began to feel a little light headed. She decided her best option was to lay back down and enjoy the warmth and company of Lazuli while it lasted. She could wake up at any moment and Peridot would have to leave. The only outcomes for realising they had slept in the same bed were all incredibly awkward. 

On the one hand, Lapis probably invited her into the bed when she had woken up from the flashback. But what if Peridot had just slipped in next to her without the tanned girls consent? She highly doubted it but who knows what her sleep deprived mind was thinking last night. It was like, 5am and she had gotten barely any sleep the following day. 

So, the blonde decided to get up and pretend nothing had happened. Her first stop was the bathroom to take a quick shower. But before she could turn it on to test the water, she froze. What if she woke Lapis up? Didn't she need some fresh clothes? The small girl shrugged and stripped from her clothes, turning on the shower before stepping in. After washing, she changed back into the clothes Lapis had lent her and stepped out of the room with a soft baby blue towel in her hands. She attempted to dry her unruly hair with it until she gave up and dropped it into a pile of dirty clothes. 

There was no need to try and tame the mess of hair on her head, most of it had somewhat sunk because of the water and instead of a light blonde colour, it was now a dirty brown. Peridot hated her hair when it was wet, it always looked longer than it actually was. 

Walking back into the bedroom, Peridot noticed that Lapis was still sound asleep and decided against waking her. Instead, she rummaged through her bag for her phone and started messing around and checking her social medias. She was scrolling casually through a tumblr tag when a familiar looking box caught her eye. It was sitting beside a small TV, along with four other similarly coloured and labelled boxes. Peridot couldn't believe her eyes and she crawled up to them and picked the one labelled 'season one', her green eyes wide and a smile growing on her pale face. 

"I can't believe this" she whispered to herself, hugging the box to her chest and suppressing a giggle. "Lapis has all five seasons of Camp Pining Hearts!" 

Glancing back at Lapis, who had turned over so she was facing towards the blonde, she opened up the box and...wow, there was a disk! It looked pretty much untouched save for a couple of little scratches here and there. Peridot slipped the disk into the TV and sat back, the goofy grin never leaving her face. 

The TV sprung to life with happy music and bright colours and Peridot began to sing quietly along to the theme tune as the animated characters danced around the screen. 

\- - - 

All Lapis could hear was noise but she couldn't quite pinpoint where it was coming from. Her eyes refused to open and she could turn her head. But she could hear noises. The TV. Was Peridot watching it? That would explain the voice, slightly muffled due to the fact that Lapis had buried herself in a mountain of pillows and blankets. But it was still audible and now Lapis was curious as to what the small girl was watching to make her sing along and read lines from the supposed show as well as the voice actors were. 

But she couldn't move, sleep had taken over her body. So, she opened her mouth. Then shut it. Then repeated the action several times until she let out a small noise. Peridot seemed to stop in her tracks and spun around to face Lapis. 

"Peri" she said once she could form words and suddenly her limbs started moving again. She rubbed her sleepy eyes and finally she could see. It was blurry but it would focus in time. 

She looked over to the TV, only to see two blurry figures talking to each other in what seemed to be a small wooden hut. Behind them, a bright turquoise flag was hung at the wall, making Lapis blink rapidly at the bright colours. Another short eye rub and she could finally make out Peridot's face. 

"Morning" she said timidly, playing with the hem of her shirt and looking back guiltily at the TV. 

"Good morning, Peridot" she said as she propped herself up on her elbow "you feeling better?" Her mind was cast back to the night before. She had awoken to Peridot crying and offered her a place in her bed alongside her. Peridot seemed to remember too as a faint red blush dusted her freckled cheeks. 

"Yeah, thanks" the small girl had paused her show, which seemed to be season one episode six of Camp Pining Hearts and curled into a ball, knees hugging her chest. 

"Y'know, if that ever happens again, call me, okay?" Lapis said, suddenly serious "I'll come over straight away". 

Peridot's blush only seemed to deepen as Lapis went on. She nodded slowly. "You really don't have to-"

"No" lapis cut her off "its the least I can do" she threw the blonde a genuine smile, that seemed to reflect into her red face. 

"Okay" she agreed, suddenly feeling a little better "only if you agree that you can call me if you're feeling sad". 

Lapis looked a little surprised but nodded. "Of course". 

Both girls grinned at each other from their seats. Peridot's hand went behind her and she grabbed onto the remote. 

Suddenly filling with confidence, she asked the blue haired girl "care to watch some Camp Pining Hearts with me?"

Lapis laughed and jumped out of her bed to take a seat beside her. That was all the blonde needed to press the play button. 

The two sat and watched the cheesy cartoon for what felt like hours, only getting up to use the bathroom and to grab extra snacks. 

At one point Lapis had leant on Peridot's shoulder with a tired sigh as she slowly chewed on some crisps, making the blonde go bright red. But she didn't move, she liked how close they were. It made her heart thud against her ribs. She relaxed into her and wrapped her arms around the taller girls waist. 

A wide smile painted Lapis' face at the contact and she closed her eyes to take in the moment. It was a change from the supposedly awkward start to the day. 

Peridot's heart beat faster, it felt like it was going to burst out of her chest at any moment. She tried to compose herself, repeating in her head that it was okay. This was okay? This was what friends did was it not? 

"L-lapis?" Peridot reached for the remote, pressing her finger down on the red pause button and turning to glance down at the blue haired girl. 

Lapis looked up with her beautiful ocean blue eyes. It made Peridot's sudden confidence soar and she cleared her throat before taking the gesture to go on.

"Did...did that kiss last night mean anything to you?" She asked, tearing her gaze away to stare at her feet, which were obviously more important that keeping eye contact with her best friend. Or future girlfriend. 

Lapis seemed to stiffen in the blondes hold and Peridot instantly regretted bringing last nights events up so soon. Even though it was early afternoon and neither had moved away from Lapis' room. It took the taller girl a second to compose herself, attempting to hide her blush by rubbing her cheek in thought. Not that she needed to think, she knew the answer. Yes. Of course it did. It was the highlight of her day. 

"So what if it did?" She asked the blonde instead, shuffling a little closer to her to make herself more comfortable. 

Peridot gulped a little too loudly and she hoped Lapis didn't hear. Her heart was beating too fast, she was scared she might just drop dead there, with her crush in her arms. 

"Well..." Peridot needed to tread carefully now. She didn't want Lapis to get the wrong impression. But what was the wrong impression? Yes, she wanted to have another hot make-out session but maybe Lapis would get mad? But she'd kissed back last night... "It did to me". 

Another awkward silence. This one unbearable. Lapis had seemed to relax a lot more but her grip around Peridot was stiff and tight. 

Suddenly Lapis bent forward, close enough for their lips to lock once again. A wide smirk was painted onto her tanned girls face as her lips brushed against the blondes. Peridot let out a little noise as Lapis pressed the play button on the remote and the TV sprung back to life. She set herself back into the smaller girls arms and rest her head on her shoulder. 

Peridot couldn't talk. Her face was bright red and the urge to kiss Lapis was growing by the minute. This was hard. Harder than she had originally expected. Lapis' shoulders moved up and down in silent laughter, her eyes glued to the TV. This was nice, she wished this could last forever. It could. She just needed to ask one question. 

"Hey, Peri" Lapis said, grabbing a fistful of nachos and stuffing them into her mouth. As she chewed slowly, she waited for the blondes reply. 

Peridot hummed, a little annoyed at the nickname. She'd have to get used to it if they were to continue like this. 

"That kiss was the highlight of my day" Lapis replied, swallowing the last of the nacho. 

Now it was Peridot's turn to freeze. She slowly turned her head so she was facing Lapis, her cheeks burning as blue eyes met green. 

"Does that mean-" the blonde was cut off by a kiss, one more passionate than the first one. 

Lapis' hands went straight up to Peridot's hair, curling them into fists as she deepened the kiss. 

Once they broke apart, breathing heavily and staring at each other with equally cheesy grins on their faces, Lapis stood up, helping the smaller girl stand. She intertwined her hand with Peridot's and gave it a little squeeze. 

"Does this mean we're...a thing?" The blonde said quietly. 

Lapis nodded, pecking the freckled girl on the cheek "only if you want to..".

Peridot nodded shyly, pulling Lapis down onto the bed with her and wrapping her small arms around her shoulders. "Yeah" she whispered, trying to contain her newfound excitement "I'd like that".


	34. Chapter 34

Lapis glanced over at her alarm clock from her seat next to the small blonde. By now it was early afternoon and the two had done nothing but sit and binge for the last couple hours. The blue haired girl sat up straight and ran a tanned hand through her thick blue bangs. The blonde looked up, her green eyes tired but aware. She followed Lapis as she made her way back to the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge and opening it up. Peridot watched her quietly, a small smile playing at her lips as she strummed her fingers on the granite countertop. 

"Hey" Lapis said through gulps of water. "Do you wanna go outside, its been snowing all night" she set the bottle down and wiped her mouth with her wrist "we can invite the others over and have a snowball fight or something. And then another sleepover? You can stay in my bed".

The pale girls cheeks grew red but she nodded, wanting to make her girlfriend happy. She had never liked snow, it melted quickly due to body heat and it made her clothes damp  and smell like a sewer. Plus, she was never one for snowball fights, getting hit repeatedly with balls of snow had never appealed to her. But, she reminded herself, this was to make Lapis happy. And maybe she'd enjoy it. 

"Awesome sauce" she grinned ear to ear and pulled her phone out from her pocket. She opened the group chat, her fingers flying across the touchscreen keyboard for a couple of seconds before she placed the device onto the counter and waited for a reply. 

"Never say that again"

"What? Awesome sauce?" Lapis laughed as her girlfriend flinched, running a hand down her freckled face. 

"I'm breaking up with you" she grumbled. 

Lapis laughed harder. "Aww you love me really!" She bent down to Peridot's height, which seemed to annoy her even more,  and kissed her forehead, holding her bangs out of the way with one hand and cupping her cheek in the other. 

"Shut up" the blonde tried to pull away but Lapis was surprisingly strong for someone so skinny. She was a swimmer. Of course she was strong. 

"Admit you love me and I'll let go" Lapis squeezed the smaller, making her wheeze loudly and groan into her shoulder. 

"I love you" Peridot said quietly, face bright red. 

"What was that?" 

"I said" Peridot cleared her throat "I love you Lapis". 

Lapis' grin widened and she set go, making the blonde fall dramatically onto the tiled floor. The taller girl only laughed and reached down to help her up. 

Her phone vibrated, making her drop Peridot out of excitement. She cursed loudly and stood up by herself, peering over Lapis' shoulder as she texted. 

"Its a yes!" Lapis exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air "Amethyst, Pearl Garnet and Steven can come over". 

"What about Ruby and Sapphire?" Peridot asked, raising an eyebrow at the phone in her lovers hands. 

Lapis just shrugged, unsure herself "they just said they couldn't come. It doesn't matter, we'll see them next week anyways". 

"Fair enough" Peridot smiled warmly and told Lapis she was going to change into something a bit warmer. She came back wearing her favourite oversized green hoodie and black sweatpants. 

"They'll be here in 30 minutes" Lapis informed, once again setting down her phone and glancing over to the smaller "what do you want to do while we wait?"

Before the blonde could suggest more Camp Pining Hearts, Lapis had pinned her to the wall and began kissing her. Peridot kissed back, her hands resting on Lapis' shoulders whilst the taller girls were in her messy blonde hair, curled into fists as the kiss deepened. Soon Lapis broke away, a trail of saliva coming off their lips. Peridot wiped her mouth with the sleeve of her hoodie while Lapis trailed soft kisses down her neck. 

One make out session later, someone knocked on the door and Peridot pulled away from Lapis' lips, frowning. 

"Yo, lapis!" Amethyst greeted as the door swung open, she clapped her on the back and went towards the kitchen. 

Pearl entered more slowly, holding Stevens hands, which were covered with brown mittens with cat faces on. Lapis grinned and shut the door as Steven entered. 

"Any of you guys want a hot drink?" She asked. 

"Tea would be nice" 

"Coffee"

"Hot chocolate!" 

Lapis looked over to Amethyst who was stuffing her face with ice cream Lapis didn't even know she had. She regretted leaving it out now, she should've hidden it in the back of the freezer...

"I'll have whatever Pearl's having" she waved a hand dismissively and went back to spooning large amounts of the creamy treat into her mouth. 

"Amethyst its winter" Peridot mused from her seat by the counter, an unamused look in her pale face. 

"Any weather is ice cream weather, dude" came her reply. 

The blonde grimaced but didn't say anything else. She began playing the the strings of her hoodie, looking slightly uncomfortable. Lapis turned the kettle on and set up the cups, two teas, one coffee and two hot chocolates, then went over to hug her girlfriend from behind, resting her chin on her fluffy hair. 

Amethyst whistled through a mouthful of ice cream and Steven squealed, holding his hands to his cheeks. His eyes had stars in them as he stared and his enthusiasm made Lapis smile. 

"Are you two dating or what?" The brunette cried, waving her spoon at them. 

"Yup" Lapis popped the 'p' and bent down to kiss Peridot's head. 

The blonde groaned, turning bright red and burying her face in her sleeves. Lapis laughed and went to go make the drinks. She filled the kettle with water and set it back down, flicking the switch and waiting for it to boil.  

\- - - 

The small group of friends sat around the living room, drinking their beverages and talking casually as the TV played quietly in the background. Amethyst was sitting next to Pearl on the couch; Pearl was sitting on the edge, Amethyst curled up next to her,cradling her tea in her hands. Steven was sitting on the other side, happily sipping his hot chocolate. Lapis and Peridot sat beside the couch on the carpeted floor, the blue haired girl actually engaging in the conversation whilst the blonde stared out the window at the falling snow wondering how much was out there now. 

Suddenly Amethyst stood up, setting her empty mug down on the coffee table and peering down at the others with a wild grin on her face.

"We should go outside" she said, knocking the thankfully empty cup out of Pearl's hands, who yelped and scolded her with narrowed eyes, complaining how the liquid could've stained the couch if she hadn't been so lucky. 

Amethyst shrugged it off, pulling the annoyed Pearl into a quick kiss. They pulled back, the pale girls face bright red. She cleared her throat. 

"I'll go get my coat". She abruptly stood up and walked down the small corridor that lead to the door. 

Steven followed silently whilst Amethyst pulled on a beanie and a thick purple scarf. 

When the five had finished preparing, Lapis unlocked the door, dropping the keys into the pocket of her jacket and running outside. Her mitten covered hands grabbed a pile of snow and threw it at Steven, who giggled and copied her action. 

Peridot stood and watched. That was until  something cold hit the back of her neck with some force. She stumbled forward, startled. A giggle sounded behind her and she spun around to find Steven with another snowball in his hand. The blonde pulled the hood of her hoodie over her head and ran towards him, grabbing as much snow as her bare hands could handle and throwing it at him. He laughed as it hit him square in the chest, turned and ran. 

The brunette cheered and adjusted her beanie from behind her makeshift snow fort which was basically just a large pile of snow. Amethyst was lucky she was short. 

"Peridot" the blonde turned to find Lapis ushering her closer. 

She jogged up and Lapis pulled her down behind her house and pointed towards a stack of freshly made snowballs. Peridot nodded, understanding what she was implying and grabbed as many as her arms could carry. Which wasn't really a lot. Curse her short arms! 

Lapis picked up the rest and nodded towards the left. Peridot nodded again and went right. She spotted Pearl pulling her coat closer to her body, which was covered in snow. A small grin made its way onto her face as she calculated the distance. Then she slowly took a single snowball from the pile and aimed. And fired. It hit Pearl in the face and she yelped angrily. Beside her Amethyst let out a loud snort and started laughing, doubling over to catch her breath. Peridot felt herself chuckling as she made her way back to the base to find Lapis there. The tanned girl gave her a thumbs up. 

\- - -

They fought until the sky grew dark. Till their hands were numb and they couldn't feel their fingers as they peeled off mittens and coats. Then went their separate ways to change. Lapis to her room, Peridot the bathroom, Pearl to the spare room, Amethyst in the corridor and Steven in the living room. The curtains were closed of course. 

After, Lapis brought out more hot drinks and they settled down in front of the TV in her room to binge films until they passed out.


	35. Chapter 35

Peridot leant against the wall, waiting for Lapis to get out of her class. They had planned another trip to the beach and were going to drop off their things at Lapis' house and grab some food and towels before they headed off. Only, Lapis was running a little late. The blonde checked her phone for the fifth time in the span of ten minutes. Once again, there was nothing. Was something wrong? Had Jasper gotten to her? Peridot froze. She'd forgotten about that big brute. The news that they were dating had probably gotten to her by now. What if she took lapis? Killed her? No. 

A wave of confidence washed of Peridot and she strode forward towards the almost empty main building of the school. If she was right, Lapis had drama last and then had to go sort out homework with a teacher or something along those lines. So, Peridot thought, she should be in their English room. The short girl turned the corner and walked up to the English corridor, only to turn back and press herself against the wall when she saw the large silhouette of the one and only Jasper. She seemed to be talking to someone, being a lot less aggressive then she usually was. Maybe it was her friend. Malachite? Sugilite? Then she heard another voice. A familiar one. It replied back just as quietly, though Peridot could hear a hint of fear. Nope, definitely not one of her gang. 

Peridot peered around the corner to catch a glimpse of ocean blue hair from behind Jasper's mane of bleached mess. Oh no. Not today. She felt like a coward just standing there, hiding from her enemy instead of confronting her and helping her girlfriend. So, without so much of a hesitation, she stepped away from her hiding spot and strode up to the two taller students. Clearing her throat, they turned and a wave of relief washed over Lapis' features. But Jasper's expression turned to fury. 

"What are you doing here, runt" she growled, turning to stand over her, hands clenched into tight fists and teeth gritted. Her amber eyes shone dangerously in the artificial lighting of the corridor and it took everything for Peridot not to turn and run. Do it for her. For Lapis. 

"I'm here to get my girlfriend" she put emphasis on the last word, eyes narrowing into thin slits. She looked serious and confident though on the inside, she was panicking. Wanting nothing more than to run away from the building. The school. Far away from Jasper. She had been the reason for so much pain. 

Jaspers eyes widened slightly but then her face twisted into a cocky smirk. She grabbed Lapis' arm in one of her gigantic hands and swung for forward. The blue haired girl yelped in the surprise and stumbled up to Peridot. The grip the larger girl had on her arm was sure to leave a nasty bruise. Peridot winced at the thought. 

"Let her go" she straightened her back, trying to make herself more intimidating even though she was half her size. 

Jasper threw back her head and laughed "make me, nerd". Her eyes shone and her grin widened. 

That was a challenge, Peridot knew. But one she couldn't win. She was too small, not strong enough the overpower Jasper. Her punches weren't exactly the strongest, they could probably graze Jasper at the most. This sucked. 

Just as Peridot was about to raise her fist in an attempt to punch Jaspers gut, a yell echoed down the hallway and everyone's eyes landed on the figure wearing dark shades. "Hey" she called "what do you think you're doing?"

Jasper growled and dropped Lapis as the figure, who Peridot now knew was Garnet, ran up to where Lapis was dropped, holding her purple wrist. Jasper turned on her heel and ran, slamming the door shut as she bolted out of the exit. Garnet dropped down onto her knees to inspect Lapis' wrist. It wasn't broken, thank god, but it did look pretty back. 

"Can you move it?" Asked garnet. 

Lapis attempted to move it but winced and shook her hand, cradling it with her other hand. 

Garnet stood up, catching eye contact with the blonde. "Take her to Rose" she said and walked off back down the corridor before Peridot could respond. 

Instead, she helped Lapis up and held onto her arm as she walked over to Rose's room. She knocked on the door and a muffled 'come in!' came from the other side. Peridot slowly opened the door and sat Lapis down on one of the chairs lining the room. 

"Lapis, Peridot!" Steven cheered from his seat on the table, wearing his trademark goofy smile. 

"Steven, what are you doing here?" Lapis asked, instantly cheering up in his presence. Steven did that to people. 

"My dad has to work and the others are busy" he shrugged, playing with the lid of his water bottle as he spoke "so I have to wait so my mother can take me home" he nodded towards the separate room where Rose probably was "plus, I get to help you guys now". 

With that said, Rose finally entered, holding a thick wad of bandages in her hands. She inspected Lapis' wrists, asking similar questions as Garnet and testing out its movements. And, after declaring that she didn't need to go to hospital, wrapped it in a bandage and let her go.

The two lovers walked out of the building, hand in hand and made their way over to Peridot's car. The blonde opened the door for her and helped with her seatbelt when she was having trouble. Then, she started to car and sped off towards her own house. 

"So..um" Peridot said, tapping the steering wheel along to the quiet music on the radio "I think we should postpone the beach for another day". 

Lapis didn't say anything but nodded. She was massaging her wrist with her other hand, her forehead pressed against the cold glass of the window as she watched people speed by.

Peridot turned the car and sped up, the road was straight here and many of the school kids who had to walk home lived on the other side so it was mostly quiet. 

"Wanna hang with me or go home?" She asked quietly. 

Lapis frowned and turned her head from the window to glance sadly at Peridot. "I think I want to go home. If that's okay". 

"Its fine" Peridot couldn't help but feel a little hurt but she understood Lapis. So, she turned the car around and drove out onto the main road towards Lapis' house. 

Once there, she made sure Lapis was all settled and left after telling her that if she needed anything, she could text her. Lapis had nodded and shut the door.


	36. Chapter 36

Lapis sighed and slid down the door, rubbing her temples. She knew Peridot was just trying to help but Lapis could take care of herself. Slowly taking off her backpack and dropping it onto the floor beside the door as she got up, she walked to the kitchen. It wasn't like she appreciated Peridot taking care of her, that's what lovers did. But Jasper wasn't worth it. If it wasn't for her, they'd be back at the beach, eating ice cream and splashing in the sea. But no. Jasper just HAD to stop Lapis as soon as she stepped out of her classroom, lead her into a desolate hallway and threaten her. 

She took a carton of orange juice out of the fridge and poured herself a tall glass before settling down on her couch and tucking her legs underneath herself. Lapis sighed as she took a sip, letting the refreshing taste warm her mood. She knew Peridot would be worried about her but she had mentally decided to text her later. Now was about her. Alone time. Lapis adjusted her position on the couch, turning on the TV to catch up on some shows on Netflix. A relaxing evening was just what she needed. No stress. Stress would make her feel worse. She knew from experience. Lapis had had a stressful life before she met Peridot. 

Four hours later the blue haired girl found herself in her bathroom, watching as crystal clear water filled up the pristine white tub. Lapis had never really liked baths. Showers were much quicker and she could be in and out in the span of ten minutes, hair washed and ready for the day. But baths. Baths were relaxing and she knew that it would calm all nerves. Maybe she could make it up to Peridot and go to the beach at the weekend. An entire day with her favourite person sounded really good right now. 

Just before she hopped into the tub, Lapis grabbed her phone and texted Peridot. Then, she set her phone down on the radiator, which was turned off, and slid into the bath. 

Lapis loved the feeling of the warm water surrounding her. It was so calm, hearing the faint splash as she moved towards the bottle of shampoo and began to rub it into her scalp. 

It reminded her of back when she was little. During summertime her parents would get out the little inflatable pool for her and her cousins who usually stayed over during the warmer months. Her dad would blow it up using a pump and her mother would fill it up with the hose. It was always with warm water though, as she remembered always complaining about how cold the water was when she didn't. The memory brought a fond smile onto Lapis' face. She closed her eyes and wallowed in her memories. 

\- - - 

Lapis grinned wide as she pranced around the backyard in her new two piece ocean blue swimsuit. It was mid summer and she had just just gotten off from school so she figured it was the perfect day for the pool. Her aunt had arrived from her home a couple hours away late yesterday, which had left her with her two younger cousins to hang out with. Lapis enjoyed their company. Even though they could be really annoying at times. But she couldn't complain. She didn't have many friends, let alone friends that lived near her. 

But that didn't stop her from enjoying the sun so she had begged her parents to get out the pool from the shed situated at the back of the large garden. Both had reluctantly agreed and set off to work, her dad pumping air into the plastic pool with his foot and her mother readying the hose and checking the temperature. Lapis and her cousins were playing around on the grass, laughing as they ran around, dodging each others attacks with their tiny hands wrapped around plastic swords. Lapis never really liked any of that girly stuff. 

By the time the pool was finished, Lapis had already worn herself out from running around and waving her arms about. But nonetheless, she was ecstatic when she saw the shimmering water and jumped in. Her cousins followed suit, already changed into their own swimming costumes. They began splashing the water at each other as the adults looked on fondly at their children. 

It had been a good day. A really good day compared to Lapis' life now. She wished she could go back to it now. But now she was older, almost ready to leave highschool. The only thing that stood between herself and a decent well paying job were the exams at the end of the year. But Lapis was ready. 

\- - -

Lapis hadn't realised she was submerged in the water until she opened her eyes to see nothing but the blurring grey ceiling. She sat up, gasping her breath, a little horrified that her fond daydreaming almost drowned her. By this point she couldn't tell if water was just running down her face or that she was crying but she didn't care. 

She leant back and waiting her all the water to clear from her ears so she could hear once again before stepping out of the tub and dressing herself. 

Once she was fully dry, she checked her phone only to find a couple of texts from Peridot. She didn't sound very urgent. Just glad that was okay. Lapis smiled as she read through them: 

Lapis: hey peridot, sorry for not answering your texts earlier. I'm fine so don't worry about it! 

Peridot: Oh thank god, I was so worried that Jasper had gotten you or something. 

Peridot: Does she even know where you live?? 

Lapis: Idk 

Peridot: Wow, thanks for the reassurance :/.

Lapis: stop worrying about me jfc 

Lapis: how about we make up for this awful day by hanging out all weekend? 

Lapis: we can go to the beach 

Lapis: and the arcade!! 

Lapis; and get pizzas :O 

Peridot: Sounds like a date ;). 

Lapis: ♥♥♥ilu 

Peridot: I love you too. <3

Lapis almost dropped her phone in shock but instead opted to hold it fondly to her chest as a tear ran down her cheek. By now she was grinning like an idiot as she lay on her bed, staring up at the glow stars on her ceiling. 

She couldn't wait until the weekend.


	37. Chapter 37

Peridot honestly couldn't wait for the weekend to roll around. It was around mid afternoon on a Friday, the hot summer sun had been replaced by grey clouds and a cold breeze that chilled the blonde haired girl to the bone. It had been decided that Lapis and herself would meet up just before lunch and hang out at the beach. Just them. No distractions. It was their first proper date and just thinking about it made Peridot grin to herself as she sat in her last period lesson, quietly jotting down notes as the teacher droned on and on. 

A glance at the clock told her she had half an hour left and had to hold in the urge groan and bang her head against the wooden desk she sat at. Her heart was thumping excitedly in her chest as she counted down the minutes, half listening to the teacher, in case they called on her, and half looking at the clock. Her hand was poised over her pens, ready to shove them into her bag and meet up with Lapis before Jasper got to her again. Lapis hadn't really been the same since Jasper stopped to 'talk' to her. She was more quiet, kept to herself and didn't make as many horrible puns as she used to. 

Peridot could only hope to crack the puzzle when they were on their date. Lapis tended to bottle up her feeling and not tell anyone until it was too late. The blonde had witnessed her break down before her very eyes and it hurt to see her in so much pain. But Lapis should be happy. Today the pair had to stay after school for extra rehearsals, as the day of the performance drew closer and closer. 

The bell rang, echoing around the classroom and making everyone in the classroom stand up in almost perfect unison. It was finally the weekend. And that meant lazing around and binging shows on Netflix for two whole days!! What's not to love? Peridot's heart thumped happily against her ribcage as she slung her bag over her shoulder and sauntered out of the room, a wide grin on her freckled face. She spun around the corner and left the main building, heading towards the auditorium where the rehearsals were usually held. 

A familiar head of blue hair came into Peridot's view and her grin, if even possible, grew as she approached the taller. Lapis spun around at the noise of footsteps tapping on the floor and smiled warmly at her lover, leaning down to peck her on the lips before the both entered the auditorium together, hands intertwined. 

No one turned around at their arrival, all used to them arriving late and together. The head of the drama department, who was arranging props on the stage, spun around and clapped her hands together, startling everyone and making them turn towards the noise. 

The crowd of people slowly stood up from their seats, stretching dramatically as if they'd just woken up. Lapis, who had been skimming over her lines, dropped her script by Peridot's feet and walked off the change into her costume. Peridot shoved her hands in her hoodie and went off the find the rest of the technicians backstage. 

Rehearsals went very well. Everyone had pretty much nailed their lines, though there were a few mess-ups here and there that could be easily fixed with a little more practice. By now it was around 5pm and the drama students were descending out of the school gates and beginning the long journey home. Peridot had promised to drive Lapis home, being the brilliant girlfriend she was. 

As the two got into the car, Lapis turned towards Peridot, looking a little smug as she cupped the pale girls face in her hands. She brought their faces together and their lips locked. Peridot stopped trying to insert the key into its place to start her car and dropped it on the dashboard, instead bringing her hands up to grip into Lapis' thick blue hair. The kiss itself was passionate and loving and when they pulled away, panting, their faces were bright red. Lapis beamed at her, and her smile made peridot's heard jump and butterflies fluttered around her stomach. She was hopelessly in love with this cute, blue haired swimmer. She was to lucky to have someone as great as Lapis to love. 

After another hot make-out session, Peridot grabbed her keys and started up her car and slowly pulled out of the carpark. Lapis, who was stilled curled up next to Peridot, as much as her seatbelt would allow anyway, turned on the radio and started to switch between stations until a song she liked came on. After that, she started singing along loudly and surprisingly in tune. Peridot rolled her eyes and stepped a little harder on the gas pedal, making  Lapis lurch forward and stop mid song. 

Peridot stopped the car outside Lapis' house and looked at the taller expectantly, waiting for her to get out. Lapis hesitated, kissing Peridot again, to which she happily obliged, then slowly undid her seatbelt. Her hand rest of the door handle as she looked intensely into Peridot's eyes. Pulling the door open, she stepped out. 

"I love you" she whispered, her blue eyes glowing in the sun. Her hair blew in the faint breeze, her bangs covering her eyes until she gently brushed them aside. 

"I love you too, Lapis" Peridot said back confidently. Her cheeks were bright red and her heart was beating in her ears. The only thing she could to was repeat the phrase quietly as Lapis shut the door and disappeared into her house. 

"I love you Lapis".


	38. Chapter 38

Lapis stood by the front door of her house, dressed in a dark blue tank top and a pair of shorts. A towel was draped over her shoulder and a backpack hung from her arm and as she sat down on the front porch, staring down at the road in front of her. It was relatively quiet on her street and though it was peaceful at times, it could he a little unnerving. 

Whenever a car drove past her house, she looked up, hopeful to see a familiar freckled face and shining green eyes. But alas, they never stopped in front of her house, whizzing past as shiny metal blurs. Lapis was beginning to think Peridot had abandoned her until her phone buzzed from inside her pocket. She slid it out and unlocked it. It was Peridot. A wave of relief washed over Lapis as she read the text. 

Peridot: On my way now! Sorry for the wait, I got caught up on something <3

Lapis' lips twitched upwards as she started typing up a response. 

Lapis: its okay Peri!! I can't wait to see you again. Miss u

Peridot: It's been like, a day, Lapis. 

Peridot: Anyways, see you in ten.

Chuckling under her breath, Lapis put her phone way and began humming to herself as she waited. 

And, just as she predicted, ten minutes later a familiar old car pulled up in front of Lapis' house. She stood up, stretching her tired legs and pulling her bag onto her shoulder as she walked up to Peridot's car and pulled open the door. She got in, doing up her seatbelt and kissing Peridot on the cheek as a greeting, which her girlfriend gratefully returned. 

"I missed you" Lapis mumbled through one of the kisses. 

Peridot laughed and started up her car once again. After a quick peck on the nose she turned back onto the road and started towards the beach. 

"Do you think you're gonna go swimming this time?" The blue haired girl asked, playing with the seatbelt between her fingers. 

Peridot's smile faltered for a second. She sighed under her breath. "I can't. My leg" she replied bluntly. 

"Oh" Lapis paused, unsure of what to say. She noticed Peridot was wearing shorts again. The sight made her heart leap. She was so proud of her little nerd. But swimming, she knew, was gonna be a big step. If she had to wait a little longer then she'd wait a little longer.

A lingering question made its way into Lapis' brain but she stopped herself before she opened her mouth to ask. She knew it would be a touchy subject and she don't want to ruin this seemingly perfect day. 

The rest of the drive was left in semi comfortable silence which neither wanted to break. Peridot was busy driving, eyes glued to the road. Lapis opted to stare at the sky, watching as the white clouds passed them. The sky was so bright today, Lapis thought happily. 

When the car finally stopped at a carpark near the beach, Lapis finally looked over to her girlfriend. They kissed briefly again before getting out of the car and getting all of their things ready. Peridot had brought herself a blanket and a bag full of snacks and books for her to read. She'd also brought money, insisting she pay for anything Lapis needed. Lapis was silently grateful because she'd forgotten to pack her own money. Not that she really had any. 

Lapis decided to walk barefoot when they reached the sand. It felt nice between her toes. The beach was like her second home at this point and it was nice that she'd now be sharing it with the person she cared about the most. Peridot had brought flip flops which were obviously too big for her feet and flopped around awkwardly as she walked. Lapis had made a comment and Peridot countered it by announcing she had converse in her bag for when they walked over to the arcade or when they wanted food that wasn't just snacks. 

They found a nice spot in a quiet corner and set camp there. Peridot laid down her blankets, slipped off her footwear and picked out a book from her bag. She set it down and looked up at lapis. The tanned girl sat down next to her and wrapped Peridot's smaller frame in her arms. 

"I want to stay with you" she mumbled into Peridot's shoulder. "What food have you got in your bag?"

Peridot's shoulders rose and fell as she chuckled and leant forward to snatch her bag and pull it forward. She unzipped it and peered inside. She pulled out three boxes of shop bought sandwiches, some tuna and sweetcorn pasta, and two packets of doritos, nacho cheese and chili heatwave. Lapis' eyes lit up at the sight and grabbed one of the sandwiches to inspect what was inside. 

"I didn't know what you preferred so I guessed" she shrugged and fiddled with the lid of the pasta. 

"Its okay, I'm not picky" Lapis ripped open the packaging and took a hearty bite out of the sandwich. 

Peridot snorted. 

Lapis tried not to choke on her mouthful of sandwich.


	39. Chapter 39

Peridot nibbled at her pasta as she watched Lapis sprint away towards the sea. Once the waves lapped at her feet, she stopped running, getting used to the cold water before finally wading in. She laughed as she noticed Lapis visibly shudder as the cold ran up her spine, now so used to the warm weather. When the tanned girl was waist deep in salt water, she ducked her head under and didn't emerge until a couple of seconds later. Her blue hair stuck to her face in odd angles and water was dripping into her eyes but other than that, she was giving Peridot a toothy grin which she couldn't help but return. 

She watched her lover swim around for a bit until she set down her food and opened up her book and began to read. 

Peridot didn't know how long it had been until someone tapped her on the shoulder and she jumped up, a little startled. Okay. A lot startled. Behind her, Lapis stood, soaking wet and laughing so hard she almost fell over. She wiped away the tears forming in her eyes and knelt down the Peridot's level, pulling her into an awkward wet hug. Peridot tried to complain but she got a face full of damp hair instead. 

"You're so cute" Lapis cooed, peppering Peridot's face with tiny kisses and making the smaller girl go bright red. She tried to push the taller away but she was a lot stronger than she looked. 

"I'm not cute" Peridot huffed, defeated. 

Lapis laughed that beautiful laugh of hers and Peridot melted a little inside. She forced down the smile forming at her lips, not wanting the give Lapis the satisfaction. She was stubborn like that.

Suddenly, a pain shot up her leg, or, what was left of it. Phantom pains were not unusual to the blonde but now was not the best time. Peridot grimaced and reached down to rub her leg in an attempt to relieve the aching. Lapis immediately let go and sat down next to Peridot, towel wrapped tightly around her body, watching intently. She was waiting to see if she needed to help. Or she was curious. 

Peridot signed angrily and undid the clasp the attached the prosthetic to her leg. She slid it off and Lapis gasped. Scars wound around the stump, some bright pink and others fading into her skin. Peridot tried not to feel so exposed as she eased the pain away, not making eye contact with Lapis or anyone who happened to be near them. She was high-key grateful that the beach was so quiet today. 

She looked up and saw Lapis visibly tense, opening her her mouth but closing it a second later as if she wanted to say something, to ask a question. To ask the question. 

Peridot sighed and threw her a smile, slipping the prosthetic back on and running a hand though her hair. 

"You can ask you know". 

"What?" Lapis refused to look Peridot in the eye, red dusting her cheeks as she exclaimed "ask what?"

Peridot rolled her eyes "we've been friends for ages. We started dating like, a couple months ago. You can ask, I trust you, Lapis". She crossed her legs and slid the book back into her bag, giving Lapis her full attention. 

Lapis' face grew more red. She looked guilty. 

"Lapis"

"I'd feel guilty for asking such a personal question, Peridot". 

"Its okay to be curious". 

Lapis didn't reply. 

"Ask and you shall receive". 

Lapis covered her mouth with her hand as she snorted. 

Peridot nudged her a little, giving her a grin that read 'its okay, I'm ready to tell you'. 

And so, Lapis took in a deep breath and asked the question she'd been wanting to ask since she'd found out. 

"How did you lose you leg?" She started off awkwardly quiet "like, were you born like that? Or was it an accident? You don't have to tell me everything if you don't want to. Just a faint outline. I understand if its personal and all-"

The blonde cut her off "Lapis you're rambling". 

"Sorry". 

More silence. 

Peridot sucked in a deep breath and started playing with the hem of her shirt, unsure on where to start with the story. Did she need to include all the details? Yeah, probably. 

"Okay" Peridot readied herself. "Its kind of generic but it was actually a car crash. My mother got out of it pretty much unscathed. I was on the side where the other car hit". 

And so she told her story.


	40. Chapter 40

Lapis listened intently, her heart thudding in her chest as she leant into Peridot's side. When they'd first met, Peridot had kept mostly to herself. And now here she was, telling her lover and best friend the most tragic moment of her life. Something she had told no one else, to some extent. Lapis felt, for lack of a better word, honoured. 

\- - -

Peridot glared up at her mother, tears dribbling down her rosy cheeks, teeth grit, eyes narrowed into thin slits. Her hands were screwed into tight fists, held firmly at her sides because she was scared she might do something she'd regret if she lifted up her arms. Her mother towered over her, wearing her usual slick business suit, phone in one hand, the other empty, an accusatory finger pointing down at her. Peridot couldn't remember what they had been arguing about, her mind felt numb as her mother spat empty threats, spit flying from her mouth as she yelled. She was pretty sure the neighbours could hear but Peridot had decided not the say anything. Only to stand still and take the blame for something she didn't know she had done. 

Her voice echoed down the empty hallways of the too-big house they had been staying at. Peridot had been crying silently to herself, she was certain her mother either hadn't noticed in her moment of rage or just didn't care. She didn't have time to raise a child. Peridot was just a mistake. A mistake she couldn't get rid of. Her father had left a few months prior and everything had been way too quiet for Peridot's liking. All pictures of the man had been stripped from their rightful places on the walls by her mother but Peridot had managed to steal one without the woman knowing. It was currently tucked away in her clothes drawer. She would take it out when she was feeling lonely or sad. 

She remembered her mother grabbing her by the collar of her shirt and dragging her towards the door against her own will and demanding that she put her shoes on. By now her hands were shaking and she couldn't control the tears streaming down her face. She slowly picked up her shoes and sat down on the stairs, undoing the knot in the laces and sliding on one shoe. Peridot tied up the laces like her father had taught her. Once the other shoe was on, the action was repeated and she stood up, proud of her handy work. Her mother was waiting by the door, car keys in her hand, clutched so tight, Peridot could see the metal digging into her skin. She didn't say anything. 

Peridot followed her mother to the car and sat at the back as she was too young to even be thinking about sitting at the front at the time. Her mother wouldn't let her either way. She couldn't tell if it was because she actually cared about her or that she just didn't want her annoying her up front. So, she sat quietly at the back, staring at all the cars whizzing by, creating a yellow hue on the dark windows or the streetlights making the roads light up. 

She didn't know how long it had been or whether or not they were ever going to stop. The sky had grown considerably darker during the journey and Peridot could feel her eyelids growing heavier and heavier as she pressed her forehead against the cold window. She decided to curl up on herself the best she could, folding her arms in front of her stomach and using her jacket as a makeshift pillow. Her eyes drifted shut. 

The next thing she knew, her mother was cursing loudly. A long string or colourful words Peridot had never heard before until now came out of her mouth. Her hands gripped onto the steering wheel, her foot slamming down on the breaks as she swerved. A bright light filled Peridot's vision and she did the first thing she could think of. Scream. 

Something collided with the back of the car and before Peridot knew it she was stuck between a broken door and the seating. All she could see was red. Blood covered her vision. She could feel the warm liquid dripping down from a large cut on her forehead. She felt numb. Everything felt numb. Except for her leg. 

She screamed and screamed until her throat was raw and she didn't have enough energy to cry. Flashing lights and sirens were the only things she could remember before everything faded to black. 

\- 

Peridot was fading in and out of consciousness. Something warm and plastic was covered half her tiny face, her body felt like it didn't even exist. She felt like she was floating around in space. Everything was calm. She could hear the sound of doors opening and suddenly she was being moved. But she couldn't react. Her body wouldn't let her. So instead, she lay still and decided to what ever was happening...happen. 

Something sharp was inserted into her arm and the rhythmic beeping of a machine filled her head. Something cut into her leg. The one that had been hurting. What where they doing? She wanted to cry but no tears came. She wanted to open her eyes and scream but her body wouldn't function properly. So, she decided to focus on the beeping in hopes that she would calm down. It worked. 

Her mind drifted off and everything went dull. 

\- - - 

Lapis was crying. She wasn't sure how or why but warm tears were making their way down her face like tiny waterfalls. She leant over and hugged Peridot as tight as she could manage. Peridot let out an alarmed squeak but made no objection. 

They sat like that on the beach for what felt like an eternity, just hugging each other, afraid to let the other go. That is, until Lapis glanced down at Peridot, throwing her one of her signature grins, which looked kind of weak after all the crying before shakily asking. 

"Wanna go to the arcade to get your mind off things?" 

Peridot nodded.


	41. Chapter 41

Peridot smiled and wiped her eyes on her arm before grabbing Lapis' arm and allowing her to be pulled back up to her feet. She picked up her bag, after packing up its contents, and slung it over her shoulder as she stepped off of the smooth sand of the beach and onto the cold wood of the boardwalk. Hands intertwined, the two entered into the large building which held the arcade. Lapis went to buy some tickets and Peridot stood behind her as she inserted the money, watching as parents walked past, tired eyed, slouching as their children raced over to one of the dance games situated in the room. 

Lapis pulled the tiny red tickets from the machine and spun around on her heel so she was facing her girlfriend. With a goofy grin, she handed Peridot exactly half of the tickets and started off towards a cheesy looking spinoff of street fighter. The shorter girl followed behind, playing with the tickets as she peered over Lapis' shoulder at the unfamiliar game. 

"We should totally play this!" Lapis grinned and inserted two of the tickets and motioned for Peridot to do the same. Then, she pressed the 2 player button and the screen lit up, the words 'character select' flashing red and yellow. 

After picking their characters, the screen went dark and Peridot stifled a sigh, blinking rapidly to get used to the change of lighting. But, as quickly as it had grown dark, the screen lit up again, this time a bright green colour and Peridot almost wanted to smash the screen in. If it wasn't for Lapis and the fact that she'd definitely get banned, she'd totally do it. 

The screen counted down until an air horn sounded from on of the speakers below the game, startling Peridot, making her freeze up and give Lapis the chance to beat her character down. Peridot slammed down on her own buttons, trying desperately to redeem herself after that false start. 

Lapis won the first round. 

The second round Peridot was more prepared for. She mouthed down the numbers until the cheesy air horn sounded and her hands immediately went down to frantically hit any button she could. Lapis was going down. 

Peridot won the second round. 

The third and final round was fierce to say the least. Both knew what they were doing. Lapis was naturally good at these types of games, as she would later find out, and Peridot was very competitive so generally, it wasn't a very good mix. Lapis had already found out about how to make combos and Peridot had barely managed to dodge her attacks. Her character hit the edge of the map and she panicked. 

Lapis was smirking next to her, inching her character closer until it was close enough for the attack. She hit down on the bottom left button and its little leg flew out and hit Peridot's guy in the face. The guy fell down but immediately popped back up. 

Peridot yelled in triumph and went for Lapis, hitting the middle button. Her guy threw a punch, which Lapis dodged. The fight battle was intense from then on, neither of them were prepared to lose and soon enough a small crowds had started to gather. For what reason? Peridot wasn't really sure. Maybe it was the fact the it had been around ten minutes and neither of them had given up. Peridot was good at dodging and Lapis' character was stronger than she had guessed. But she wasn't going down that easily. 

A loud whoop came from the front of the crowd. Peridot looked up for a second and peered at the reflection in the glass. Amethyst was standing at the front of the small mob, hands around her mouth so she could increase the noise of her cheering. Pearl stood next to her, blushing. Steven was to her right, cheering along with the smaller girl, his signature grin on his face. 

Peridot grit her teeth and hit the buttons faster, somehow managing an unsuspecting combo and taking Lapis' character down. Red letters appeared on the screen, signalling the end of the game and the crowd parted, congratulating the both of them as they passed. 

Amethyst ran up to Peridot, slamming her palm on her back with surprising strength and making the blonde lurch forward. Lapis caught her by the collar of her shirt before she could fall. 

"Woah! Cool leg" 

Peridot froze. She looked down. She was still wearing those damn shorts. Her freckled cheeks turned bright red and Lapis noticed and pulled her in for a hug. 

After explaining the situation to the others, the two returned to Peridot's house and chilled out in her living room watching cartoons and eating takeaway until it grew dark and Peridot suggested the go to bed. 

As soon as they stepped into the room, Lapis turned to Peridot, awkwardly scratching the back of her neck. 

"Should I sleep on the floor or??" 

Without replying, Peridot laughed and pulled her onto her bed, wrapping themselves in a blanket cocoon and hugging until they eventually fell asleep. They didn't even change. Disgusting.


	42. Chapter 42

Lapis lowered herself onto the blanket, stretching out her legs in front of her and leaning her head back to look up at the sky. She grinned and laughed happily, taking in the warm summer heat. This was it. She was finally free from all the stress of school. Peridot sat beside her, looking as if a massive weight had been lifted from her shoulders. In a way, it had. Those end of year exams had killed them, Lapis had only just passed the majority of them, securing her a place in sixth form or possibly a decent college. She had Peridot to thank for that. The small blonde had forced her to study all the subjects that she had been struggling with. 

Steven threw a frisby into the air. The plastic disk caught in the slight breeze and drifted towards Amethyst, who caught it expertly. 

It had been around half a year since Lapis and Peridot had gotten together and honestly, they couldn't be more happier. Peridot had started coming out of her shell, agreeing to come with Lapis to meet new people and start conversations with them with little to no trouble. The play they had been working on was a great success and Lapis had recently auditioned for a Broadway show which she was really excited about. Peridot had helped her practice. She was sure she'd get a part. 

And now that she had graduated and the holidays had started, there was more time to hang with her friends. Except for steven, he still a month of school left. 

Lapis intertwined her hand with Peridot's and gave it a little squeeze. Peridot squeezed back, using her limited strength to pull Lapis closer and plant a kiss on her cheeks. Lapis turned her head to kiss her back on the lips. Peridot deepened the kiss. 

The frisby hit Peridot square in the face, making her fall backwards in shock. Her hand flew out from its place in Lapis' hair in an attempt to steady herself. Behind them, Amethyst whooped and high-fived Steven. 

"Bullseye!" 

"Amethyst!!" 

Pearl scolded them, thin arms crossed over her chest. She was sitting on a separate blanket with Connie. Books were scattered all over the colourful material and Connie herself was reading a graphic novel. 

Lapis rolled her eyes laughing. Peridot muttered a colourful string of curse words, rubbing her cheek where the plastic had hit skin.  The blue haired girl kissed her then stood up to go play with Steven and Amethyst. And to make sure they didn't try to attack them again. 

\- - - 

Later on, Ruby and Sapphire joined them, bringing two full bags of food and sharing it out amongst the small group. Lapis was nibbling on a croissant, watching the sun set with Peridot. Pearl was sitting next to Amethyst, who was talking animatedly about something she couldn't quite hear. Steven was stuffing his face with a bag of chips he was sharing with Connie and Ruby and Sapphire were making out. Subtle. 

Lapis felt a warm body press against her own and looked down only to see a mop of messy blonde hair and heard the faint crunching of crisps, which Lapis could smell was cheese and onion. Man, her girlfriend was kinda gross but she was also cute and warm so she couldn't really to complain. The taller girl wrapped her arms around the smallers shoulders, nuzzling the top of her head. 

This was perfect. 

A couple of months prior to their graduation, Lapis had ended up moving in with Peridot. The two shared a room, which left a spare room that Lapis used as an art studio. If you ever walked in, the first thing you'd see was a massive oil painting of the beach, two figures that were Lapis and Peridot sitting in the sand hand in hand, watching as the waves rolled onto the shore. 

The beach was such a special place for the both of them. For Lapis, it was like her second home. She went there whenever she was feeling sad and dived into the ocean for a swim to clear her head. For Peridot, it was where she had told Lapis her life story, which had been, for lack of a better word, hard. But now she knew, it felt like she could be totally honest with Lapis. It made her feel a lot better about herself. About her leg. Her sexuality. 

As the sky grew darker, Pearl lit up a couple of lanterns and set them up around the blankets. Ruby had brought sparklers for some reason, and started to light them up and pass them around. Sapphire had brought homemade cupcakes. All in all, it was a nice, peaceful evening and a great start to the holidays. 

\- - - 

A week later, Lapis found herself sitting on the soft sand that she knew all too well. It felt comfortable just sitting there, watching the people swimming and splashing around in the sea. It brought a smile onto her face. Everyone looked so happy. 

A small hand found its way onto hers and she looked up. She was met with familiar green eyes that stared lovingly back. Lapis grinned and kissed the smug look right off of Peridot's face. 

"I love you, Peridot" 

"I love you too, Lapis"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! More stuff for this au may be coming out soon but for now I'm working on another, different Lapidot fic!! 
> 
> If you like angst, watch out for it in the next couple days :0


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